fdinousiliiiericaii  Composers 


Rupert  "Hughes 


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FAMOUS   AMERICAN   COMPOSERS 


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EDWARD    MACDOWELL 


Famous  American  Composers 


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Sixth    Impression,    October,    1906 


COLONIAL   PRESS 

EUctrotyfed  and  Pritited  by  C.  H.  Simonds  <Sf  Co. 

Bostoti,   U.S.A. 


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MUSIC 
LtSaARY 


FOREWORD. 


One  day  there  came  into  Robert  Schu- 
mann's ken  the  work  of  a  young  fellow  named 
Brahms,  and  the  master  cried  aloud  in  the 
wilderness,  "Behold,  the  new  Messiah  of 
music ! "  Many  have  refused  to  accept 
Brahms  at  this  rating,  and  I  confess  to  being 
one  of  the  unregenerate,  but  the  spirit  that 
kept  Schumann's  heart  open  to  the  appeal  of 
any  stranger,  that  led  him  into  instant  enthu- 
siasms of  which  he  was  neither  afraid  nor 
ashamed,  enthusiasms  in  which  the  whole 
world  has  generally  followed  his  leading  — 
that  spirit  it  is  that  proves  his  true  musician- 
ship, and  makes  him  a  place  forever  among 
the  great  critics  of  music, — a  small,  small 
crowd  they  are,  too. 

It  is  inevitable  that  a  pioneer  like  Schu- 


281 


viii  Foreword. 

mann  should  make  many  mistakes,  but  he 
escaped  the  one  great  fatal  mistake  of  those 
who  are  not  open  to  conviction,  nor  alert  for 
new  beauty  and  fresh  truth,  who  are  willing 
to  take  art  to  their  affections  or  respect  only 
when  it  has  lost  its  bloom  and  has  been  duly 
appraised  and  ticketed  by  other  generations 
or  foreign  scholars.  And  yet,  even  worse 
than  this  languorous  inanition  is  the  active 
policy  of  those  who  despise  everything  con- 
temporary or  native,  and  substitute  sciolism 
for  catholicity,  contempt  for  analysis. 

While  the  greater  part  of  the  world  has 
stayed  aloof,  the  problem  of  a  national  Amer- 
ican music  has  been  solvmg  itself.  Aside 
from  occasional  attentions  evoked  by  chance 
performances,  it  may  be  said  in  general  that 
the  growth  of  our  music  has  been  unloved 
and  unheeded  by  anybody  except  a  few 
plodding  composers,  their  wives,  and  a  retainer 
or  two.  The  only  thing  that  inclines  me  to 
invade  the  privacy    of   the    American    com- 


Foreword.  ix 

poser  and  publish  his  secrets,  is  my  hearty 
belief,  lo,  these  many  years !  that  some  of 
the  best  music  in  the  world  is  being  written 
here  at  home,  and  that  it  only  needs  the  light 
to  win  its  meed  of  praise. 

Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  printed  matter 
relating  to  native  composers,  and  the  utter 
incompleteness  and  bias  of  what  exists,  I  have 
based  this  book  almost  altogether  on  my  own 
research.  I  studied  the  catalogues  of  all  the 
respectable  music  publishers,  and  selected 
such  composers  as  seemed  to  have  any  seri- 
ous intentions.  When  I  heard  of  a  com- 
poser whose  work,  though  earnest,  had  not 
been  able  to  find  a  publisher,  I  sought  him 
out  and  read  his  manuscripts  (a  hideous  task 
which  might  be  substituted  for  the  compara- 
tive pastime  of  breaking  rocks,  as  punishment 
for  misdemeanors).  In  every  case  I  secured 
as  many  of  each  composer's  works  as  could 
be  had  in  print  or  in  manuscript,  and  en- 
deavored   to    digest    them.      Thousands   of 


X  Foreword. 

pieces  of  music,  from  short  songs  to  operatic 
and  orchestral  scores,  I  studied  with  all  avail- 
able conscience.  The  fact  that  after  going 
through  at  least  a  ton  of  American  compo- 
sitions, I  am  still  an  enthusiast,  is  surely  t 
proof  of  some  virtue  in  native  music. 

A  portion  of  the  res^ilt  of  this  study  was 
published  a7i  courant  in  a  magazine,  awaken 
ing  so  much  attention  that  I  have  at  length 
decided  to  yield  to  constant  requests  and 
publish  the  articles  in  more  accessible  form. 
The  necessity  for  revising  many  of  the 
opinions  formed  hastily  and  published  imme- 
diately, the  possibility  now  of  taking  the  work 
of  our  musicians  in  some  perspective,  and  the 
opportunity  of  bringing  my  information  up 
to  date,  have  meant  so  much  revision,  exci- 
sion, and  addition,  that  this  book  is  really  a 
new  work. 

The  biographical  data  have  been  furnished 
in  practically  every  case  by  the  composers 
themselves,    and   are,    therefore,    reliable   in 


Foreword.  xi 

everything  except  possibly  the  date  of  birth. 
The  critical  opinions  gain  their  possibly  dog- 
matic tone  rather  from  a  desire  for  brevity 
than  from  any  hope  —  or  wish  —  that  they 
should  be  swallowed  whole.  No  attempt  to  set 
up  a  standard  of  comparative  merit  or  prece- 
dence has  been  made,  though  it  is  inevitable 
that  certain  music-makers  should  interest  one 
more  than  certain  others  even  more  worthy 
in  the  eyes  of  eminent  judges. 

It  may  be  that  some  inspectors  of  this 
book  will  complain  of  the  omission  of  names 
they  had  expected  to  find  here.  Others  will 
feel  a  sense  of  disproportion.  To  them  there 
is  no  reply  but  a  pathetic  allusion  to  the  in- 
evitable incompleteness  and  asymmetry  of  all 
things  human. 

Many  will  look  with  skepticism  at  the  large 
number  of  composers  I  have  thought  worthy 
of  inclusion.  I  can  only  say  that  the  fact  that 
an  artist  has  created  one  work  of  high  merit 
makes  him  a  good  composer  in  my  opinion, 


xii  Foreword. 

whether  or  no  he  has  ever  written  another, 
and  whether  or  no  he  has  afterward  fallen 
into  the  sere  and  yellow  school  of  trash. 
So  Gray's  fame  is  perennial,  —  one  poem 
among  many  banalities. 

Besides,  I  do  not  concur  in  that  most  com- 
monplace fallacy  of  criticism,  the  belief  that 
not  more  than  one  genius  is  vouchsafed  to 
any  one  period  of  an  art,  though  this  opinion 
can  be  justified,  of  course,  by  a  very  exclusive 
definition  of  the  word  genius.  To  the  average 
mind,  for  instance,  the  whole  literary  achieve- 
ment of  the  Elizabethan  era  is  condensed  into 
the  name  of  Shakespeare.  Contemporary 
with  him,  however,  there  were,  of  course, 
thirty  or  forty  writers  whose  best  works  the 
scholar  would  be  most  unwilling  to  let  die. 
There  were,  for  instance,  a  dozen  playwrights, 
like  Jonson,  Fletcher,  Ford,  Marlowe,  and 
Greene,  in  whose  works  can  be  found  literary 
and  dramatic  touches  of  the  very  highest 
order.     There  were  poets  less  prolific  than 


Foreword.  xiii 

Spenser,  and  yet  to  be  credited  with  a  few 
works  of  the  utmost  beauty,  minor  geniuses 
hke  Ralegh,  Sidney,  Lodge,  Shirley,  Lyly, 
Wotton,  Wither,  John  Donne,  Bishop  Hall, 
Drayton,  Drummond,  Herbert,  Carew,  Her- 
rick,  Breton,  Allison,  Byrd,  Dowland,  Cam- 
pion —  so  one  might  run  on  without  naming 
one  man  who  had  not  written  something  the 
world  was  better  for. 

All  periods  of  great  art  activity  are  similarly 
marked  by  a  large  number  of  geniuses  whose 
ability  is  not  disproved,  because  overshadowed 
by  the  presence  of  some  titanic  contemporary. 
It  would  be  a  mere  impertinence  to  state  such 
an  axiom  of  art  as  this,  were  it  not  the  plain 
truth  that  almost  all  criticism  of  contempo- 
raries is  based  upon  an  arrant  neglect  of  it ; 
and  if  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  I  am 
about  to  string  out  a  long,  long  list  of  Ameri- 
can music-makers  whose  ability  I  think  note- 
worthy, —  a  list  whose  length  may  lead  many 
a  wiseacre  to  pull  a  longer  face. 


xiv  Foreword. 

Parts  of  this  book  have  been  reprinted  from 
Godey  s  Magazine,  the  Century  Magazine,  and 
the  Criterion,  to  whose  publishers  I  am  in- 
debted for  permission.  For  the  music  repro- 
duced here  I  have  to  thank  the  publishers 
whose  copyrights  were  loaned  for  the  occa- 
sion. 

If  the  book  shall  only  succeed  in  arousing 
in  some  minds  an  interest  or  a  curiosity  that 
shall  set  them  to  the  study  of  American 
music  (as  I  have  studied  it,  with  infinite 
pleasure),  then  this  fine  white  paper  and  this 
beautiful  black  ink  will  not  have  been  wasted. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Foreword    

vii 

A  General  Survey    .... 

II 

The  Innovators          .... 

34 

The  Academics 

145 

The  Colonists    .        .        .        o        . 

267 

The  Women  Composers     . 

423 

The  Foreign  Composers    . 

.       442 

Postlude      .....= 

.       447 

Index    ..••<:>.• 

.      449 

LIST  OF  MUSIC 


PAGE 

Autograph  of  Edward  MacDowell         .  34 

"  Clair  de  Lune,"  by  Edward  MacDowell  46 

Autograph  of  Edgar  Stillman  Kelley  .  58 
"  Israfel  "  (fragment),  by  Edgar  Stillman 

Kelley 74 

Autograph     of     Harvey    Worthington 

LOOMIS 77 

«'  Sandalphon  "  (fragment),  by  H.  W.  Loomis  82 
Autograph  of  Ethelbert  Nevin  .  .  93 
"  Herbstgefuhl  (fragment),  by  Ethelbert 

Nevin 102 

Autograph  of  John  Philip  Sousa  .  ,112 
A    Page    from    "El    Capitan,"   by   John 

Philip  Sousa 127 

Autograph  of  John  K.  Paine    .        .        -145 

POSTLUDE  TO  "  CEdIPUS  TYRANNUS,"  BY  JOHN 

K.  Paine 158 

"  Spring's     Awakening  "     (fragment),     by 

Dudley  Buck  .        .        .        .172 

5 


6  List  of  Music. 

tKGB. 

Autograph  of  Horatio  W.  Parker.  .  174 
"Night-piece    to    Julia"    (fragment),    by 

Horatio  W.  Parker     .        .        .        .180 
"Die   Stunde   Sei   Gesegnet"  (fragment), 

BY  Frank  van  der  Stucken       .        .194 
"  A  Love  Song  "  (fragment),  by  W.  W.  Gil- 
christ        205 

Autograph  of  G.  W.  Chadwick        .        .210 

"  Folk  Song"  (No,  i),  by  G.  W,  Chadwick  216 
Autograph  of  Arthur  Foote  .  .  .221 
"  It   Was    a    Lover   and    His    Lass,"   by 

Arthur  Foote 230 

"Idylle"  (fragment),  by  Arthur  Whiting  287 
"  Ballade  "  (fragment),  by  Howard  Brock- 
way  303 

Autograph  of  Harry  Rowe  Shelley       .  304 
"Spring"  (fragment),  by  Gerrit  Smith     .  314 
"When   Love   Is   Gone,"   by   C.   B.  Haw- 
ley  330 

"  Song  from  Omar  Khayyam,"  by  Victor 

Harris 339 

"  Hymn   of  Pan  "  (fragment),  Fred  Field 

Bullard 352 

"  Peace,"  by  Homer  A,  Norris  .        .        .  362 

Autograph  of  G.  W.  Marston  .  .  .  367 
Excerpt  from  an  Orchestral  Score,  by 

F.  G.  Gleason 378 

"  Idylle  "  (fragment),  by  William  H.  Sher- 
wood          385 

Autograph  of  Wilson  G.  Smith        .        .  395 


List  of  Music.  7 


FAGB 


««  Arabesque,"  by  Wilson  G.  Smith  .  .  404 
Fragment  of  the  Score  of  "  Salammb6," 

BY  Johann  H.  Beck  ....  408 
Autograph  of  James  H.  Rogers  .  .412 
"  Black  Riders  "   (fragment),  by  William 

Schuyler 416 

"  Phantoms  "  (fragment),  by  Mrs.  H.  H.  A. 

Beach 429 

«  Ghosts,"  by  Margaret  Ruthven  Lang  .  436 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


FAGB 

Edward  MacDowell  .        .        .        Frontispiece 

Edgar  Stillman  Kelley     .         .        .         •  57 

Harvey  Worthington  Loomis    ...  77 

John  Philip  Sousa 112 

John  Knowles  Paine 145 

Horatio  W.  Parker i74 

Frank,  von  der  Stucken    .        .         .        .188 

Henry  K.  Hadley 241 

Charles  Crozat  Converse         .        .        .  256 

Henry   Holden  Huss 291 

Frederick  Field  Bullard         .        .        •  35^ 

Homer  A.  Norris 357 

A.  J.  Goodrich 388 

Wilson  G.  Smith 395 

Mrs.  H.  H.  A.  Beach 426 


FAMOUS    AMERICAN 
COMPOSERS 


CHAPTER  I. 

A    GENERAL    SURVEY. 

Coddling  is  no  longer  the  chief  need  of 
the  American  composer.  While  he  still 
wants  encouragement  in  his  good  tendencies, 
—  much  more  encouragement  than  he  gets, 
too,  —  he  is  now  strong  enough  to  profit  by 
the  discouragement  of  his  evil  tendencies. 

In  other  words,  the  American  composer  is 
ready  for  criticism. 

The  first  and  most  vital  flaw  of  which  his 
work  will  be  accused  is  the  lack  of  national- 


12     Contemporary  American  Composers. 

ism.  This  I  should  like  to  combat  after  the 
sophistric  fashion  of  Zeno,  —  showing,  first, 
why  we  lack  that  desideratum,  a  strictly 
national  school ;  secondly,  that  a  strictly 
national  school  is  not  desirable ;  and  thirdly, 
that  we  most  assuredly  have  a  national  school. 
In  building  a  national  individuality,  as  in 
building  a  personal  individuality,  there  is 
always  a  period  of  discipleship  under  some 
older  power.  When  the  rudiments  and  the 
essentials  are  once  thoroughly  mastered,  the 
shackles  of  discipleship  are  thrown  off,  and 
personal  expression  in  an  original  way  begins. 
This  is  the  story  of  every  master  in  every 
art :  The  younger  Raphael  was  only  Peru- 
gino  junior.  Beethoven's  first  sonatas  were 
more  completely  Haydn's  than  the  word 
"gewidmet"  would  declare.  The  youthful 
Canova  was  swept  off  his  feet  by  the  un- 
earthing of  old  Greek  masterpieces.  Steven- 
son confesses  frankly  his  early  efforts  to  copy 
the  mannerisms  of    Scott  and  others.     Na- 


A  General  Survey.  1 3 

tions  are  only  clusters  of  individuals,  and 
subject  to  the  same  rules.  Italy  borrowed 
its  beginnings  from  Byzantium ;  Germany 
and  France  took  theirs  from  Italy  ;  we,  ours, 
from  them. 

It  was  inconceivable  that  America  should 
produce  an  autocthonous  art.  The  race  is 
one  great  mixture  of  more  or  less  digested 
foreign  elements  ;  and  it  is  not  possible  to 
draw  a  declaration  of  artistic,  as  of  political, 
independence,  and  thenceforward  be  truly 
free. 

Centuries  of  differentiated  environment  (in 
all  the  senses  of  the  word  environment)  are 
needed  to  produce  a  new  language  or  a  new 
art ;  and  it  was  inevitable  that  American 
music  should  for  long  be  only  a  more  or  less 
successful  employment  of  European  methods. 
And  there  was  little  possibility,  according  to 
all  precedents  in  art  history,  that  any  striking 
individuality  should  rise  suddenly  to  found  a 
school  based  upon  his  own  mannerism. 


14     Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Especially  was  this  improbable,  since  we 
are  in  a  large  sense  of  English  lineage.  As 
the  co-heirs,  with  those  who  remain  in  the 
British  Isles,  of  the  magnificent  prose  and 
poetry  of  England,  it  was  possible  for  us  to 
produce  early  in  our  own  history  a  Haw- 
thorne and  a  Poe  and  an  Emerson  and  a 
Whitman.  But  we  have  had  more  hin- 
drance than  help  from  our  heritage  of  Eng- 
lish music,  in  which  there  has  never  been 
a  master  of  the  first  rank,  Purcell  and 
the  rest  being,  after  all,  brilliants  of  the 
lesser  magnitude  (with  the  permission  of 
that  electric  Englishman,  Mr.  John  F.  Run- 
ciman). 

A  further  hindrance  was  the  creed  of  the 
Puritan  fathers  of  our  civilization  ;  they  had 
a  granite  heart,  and  a  suspicious  eye  for 
music.  Here  is  a  cheerful  example  of  con- 
gregational lyricism,  and  a  lofty  inspiration 
for  musical  treatment  (the  hymn  refers  to 
the  fate  of  unbaptized  infants) : 


A  General  Survey.  1 5 

«  A  crime  it  is  !     Therefore  in  Bliss 
You  may  not  hope  to  dwell ; 
But  unto  you  I  shall  allow 
The  easiest  room  in  Hell." 

It  was  only  at  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century  that  singing  by  note  began  to  sup- 
plant the  "lining-out"  barbarism,  and  to 
provoke  such  fierce  opposition  as  this  : 

"  First,  it  is  a  new  way  —  an  unknown  tongue  ; 
2d,  it  is  not  so  melodious  as  the  old  way ;  3d,  there 
are  so  many  tunes  that  nobody  can  learn  them ; 
4th,  the  new  way  makes  a  disturbance  in  churches, 
grieves  good  men,  exasperates  them,  and  causes  them 
to  behave  disorderly;  5th,  it  is  popish;  6th,  it  will 
introduce  instruments ;  7th,  the  names  of  the  notes 
are  blasphemous ;  8th,  it  is  needless,  the  old  way 
being  good  enough;  9th,  it  requires  too  much  time 
to  learn  it;   loth,  it  makes  the  young  disorderly." 

At  the  time  when  such  puerility  was  dis- 
turbing this  cradle  of  freedom  and  cacophony, 
Bach  and  Handel  were  at  work  in  their  con- 
trapuntal webs,  the  Scarlattis,  Corelli  and 
Tartini  and  Porpora  were  alive.  Peri, 
Josquin  and  Willaert  and  Lassus  were  dead. 


1 6      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

and  the  church  had  had  its  last  mass  from 
the  most  famous  citizen  of  the  town  of  Pales- 
trina.  Monteverde  was  no  longer  inventing 
like  an  Edison  ;  LulH  had  gone  to  France 
and  died  ;  and  Rameau  and  Gouperin  were 
alive. 

At  this  time  in  the  world's  art,  the  Ameri- 
cans were  squabbling  over  the  blasphemy  of 
instruments  and  of  notation !  This  is  not 
the  place  to  treat  the  history  of  our  music. 
The  curious  can  find  enlightenment  at  such 
sources  as  Mr.  Louis  C.  Elson's  "National 
Music  of  America."  It  must  be  enough  for 
me  to  say  that  the  throttling  hands  of  Puri- 
tanism are  only  now  fully  loosened.  Some 
of  our  living  composers  recall  the  parental 
opposition  that  met  their  first  inclinations  to 
a  musical  career,  opposition  based  upon  the 
disgracefulness,  the  heathenishness,  of  music 
as  a  profession. 

The  youthfulness  of  our  school  of  music 
can  be  emphasized  further  by  a  simple  state- 


A  General  Survey.  1/ 

ment  that,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  names 
like  Lowell  Mason,  Louis  Moreau  Gottschalk, 
Stephen  A.  Emery  (a  graceful  writer  as  well 
as  a  theorist),  and  George  F.  Bristow,  prac- 
tically every  American  composer  of  even  the 
faintest  importance  is  now  living. 

The  influences  that  finally  made  American 
music  are  chiefly  German.  Almost  all  of  our 
composers  have  studied  in  Germany,  or  from 
teachers  trained  there  ;  very  few  of  them  turn- 
ing aside  to  Paris,  and  almost  none  to  Italy. 
The  prominent  teachers,  too,  that  have  come 
from  abroad  have  been  trained  in  the  Ger- 
man school,  whatever  their  nationality.  The 
growth  of  a  national  school  has  been  neces- 
sarily slow,  therefore,  for  its  necessary  and 
complete  submission  to  German  influences. 

It  has  been  further  delayed  by  the  meagre 
native  encouragement  to  effort  of  the  better 
sort.  The  populace  has  been  largely  indiffer- 
ent, —  the  inertia  of  all  large  bodies  would 
explain  that.     A  national,  a  constructive,  and 


1 8      Contemporary  American  Composers, 

collaborative  criticism  has  been  conspicuously 
absent. 

The  leaders  of  orchestras  have  also  offered 
an  almost  insurmountable  obstacle  to  the  pro- 
duction of  any  work  from  an  American  hand 
until  very  recently.  The  Boston  Symphony 
Orchestra  has  been  a  noble  exception  to  this 
rule,  and  has  given  about  the  only  opening 
possible  to  the  native  writer.  The  Chicago 
Orchestra,  in  eight  seasons  under  Theodore 
Thomas,  devoted,  out  of  a  total  of  925  num- 
bers, only  eighteen,  or  something  less  than 
two  per  cent.,  to  native  music.  Yet  time 
shows  a  gradual  improvement,  and  in  1899, 
out  of  twenty-seven  orchestral  numbers  per- 
formed, three  were  by  Americans,  which 
makes  a  liberal  tithe.  The  Boston  Symphony 
has  played  the  compositions  of  John  Knowles 
Paine  alone  more  than  eighteen  times,  and 
those  of  George  W.  Chad  wick  the  same 
number,  while  E,  A.  MacDowell  and  Arthur 
Foote  each  appeared  on  the  programs  four- 


A  General  Survey.  19 

teen  times.  The  Kaltenborn  Orchestra  has 
made  an  active  effort  at  the  promulgation  of 
our  music,  and  especial  honor  is  due  to 
Frank  Van  der  Stucken,  himself  a  composer 
of  marked  abilities  ;  he  was  among  the  first 
to  give  orchestral  production  to  American 
works,  and  he  was,  perhaps,  the  very  first  to 
introduce  American  orchestral  work  abroad. 
Like  his  offices,  in  spirit  and  effect,  have  been 
the  invaluable  services  of  our  most  eminent 
pianist,  Wm.  H.  Sherwood,  who  was  for 
many  years  the  only  prominent  performer 
of  American  piano  compositions. 

Public  singers  also  have  been  most  unpatri- 
otic in  preferring  endless  repetition  of  dry 
foreign  anas  to  fresh  compositions  from  home. 
The  little  encore  song,  which  generally  ap- 
peared anonymously,  was  the  opening  wedge 
for  the  American  lyrist. 

Upon  the  horizon  of  this  gloom,  however, 
there  is  a  tremor  of  a  dawning  interest  in 
national    music.      Large  vocal    societies   are 


20      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

giving  an  increasing  number  of  native  part 
songs  and  cantatas  ;  prizes  are  being  awarded 
in  various  places,  and  composers  find  some 
financial  encouragement  for  appearing  in  con- 
certs of  their  own  work.  Manuscript  societies 
are  organized  in  many  of  the  larger  cities, 
and  these  clubs  offer  hearing  to  novelty. 
There  have  latterly  appeared,  from  various 
publishers,  special  catalogues  vaunting  the 
large  number  of  American  composers  repre- 
sented on  their  lists. 

Another,  and  a  most  important  sign  of  the 
growing  influence  of  music  upon  American 
life,  is  seen  in  the  place  it  is  gaining  in  the 
college  curriculum ;  new  chairs  have  been 
established,  and  prominent  composers  called 
to  fill  them,  or  old  professorships  that  held 
merely  nominal  places  in  the  catalogue  have 
been  enlarged  in  scope.  In  this  way  music 
is  reestablishing  itself  in  something  like  its 
ancient  glory ;  for  the  Greeks  not  only 
grouped  all  culture  under  the  general  term 


A  General  Suri'ey.  2 1 

of  "  Music,"  but  gave  voice  and  instrument 
a  vital  place  in  education.  Three  of  our 
most  prominent  composers  fill  the  chairs  at 
three  of  the  most  important  universities.  In 
all  these  cases,  however,  music  is  an  elective 
study,  while  the  rudiments  of  the  art  should, 
I  am  convinced,  be  a  required  study  in  every 
college  curriculum,  and  in  the  common  schools 
as  well. 

Assuming  then,  for  the  nonce,  the  birth  — 
we  are  too  new  a  country  to  speak  of  a 
Renascence  —  of  a  large  interest  in  national 
music,  there  is  large  disappointment  in  many 
quarters,  because  our  American  music  is  not 
more  American.  I  have  argued  above  that 
a  race  transplanted  from  other  soils  must 
still  retain  most  of  the  old  modes  of  expres- 
sion, or,  varying  them,  change  slowly.  But 
many  who  excuse  us  for  the  present  lack  of 
a  natural  nationalism,  are  so  eager  for  such 
a  differentiation  that  they  would  have  us 
borrow  what  we  cannot  breed. 


22     Contemporary  American  Composers. 

The  folk-music  of  the  negro  slaves  is  most 
frequently  mentioned  as  the  right  foundation 
for  a  strictly  American  school.  A  somewhat 
misunderstood  statement  advanced  by  Dr. 
Antonin  Dvorak,  brought  this  idea  into 
general  prominence,  though  it  had  been  dis- 
cussed by  American  composers,  and  made 
use  of  in  compositions  of  all  grades  long 
before  he  came  here. 

The  vital  objection,  however,  to  the  gen- 
eral adoption  of  negro  music  as  a  base  for 
an  American  school  of  composition  is  that  it 
is  in  no  sense  a  national  expression.  It  is 
not  even  a  sectional  expression,  for  the  white 
Southerners  among  whose  slaves  this  music 
grew,  as  well  as  the  people  of  the  North, 
have  always  looked  upon  negro  music  as  an 
exotic  and  curious  thing.  Familiar  as  it  is  to 
us,  it  is  yet  as  foreign  a  music  as  any  Tyro- 
lean jodel  or  Hungarian  czardas. 

The  music  of  the  American  Indian,  often 
strangely  beautiful  and  impressive,  would  be 


A  General  Survey.  23 

as  reasonably  chosen  as  that  of  these  im- 
ported Africs.  E.  A.  MacDowell  had,  indeed, 
written  a  picturesque  and  impressive  Indian 
suite,  some  time  before  the  Dvorakian  inva- 
sion. He  asserts  that  the  Indian  music  is 
preferable  to  the  Ethopian,  because  its  sturdi- 
ness  and  force  are  more  congenial  with  the 
national  mood. 

But  the  true  hope  for  a  national  spirit  in 
American  music  surely  lies,  not  in  the  arbi- 
trary seizure  of  some  musical  dialect,  but  in 
the  development  of  just  such  a  quality  as 
gives  us  an  individuality  among  the  nations 
of  the  world  in  respect  to  our  character  as  a 
people ;  and  that  is  a  Cosmopolitanism  made 
up  of  elements  from  all  the  world,  and  yet,  in 
its  unified  qualities,  unlike  any  one  element. 
Thus  our  music  should,  and  undoubtedly  will, 
be  the  gathering  into  the  spirit  of  the  voices 
of  all  the  nations,  and  the  use  of  all  their 
expressions  in  an  assimilated,  a  personal,  a 
spontaneous  manner.     This  need  not,  by  any 


24     Contemporary  American  Composers. 

means,  be  a  dry,  academic  eclecticism.  The 
Yankee,  a  composite  of  all  peoples,  yet  differs 
from  them  all,  and  owns  a  sturdy  individuality. 
His  music  must  follow  the  same  fate. 

As  our  governmental  theories  are  the  out- 
growth of  the  experiments  and  experiences 
of  all  previous  history,  why  should  not  our 
music,  voicing  as  it  must  the  passions  of  a 
cosmopolitan  people,  use  cosmopolitan  ex- 
pressions ?  The  main  thing  is  the  individu- 
ahty  of  each  artist.  To  be  a  citizen  of  the 
world,  provided  one  is  yet  spontaneous  and 
sincere  and  original,  is  the  best  thing.  The 
whole  is  greater  than  any  of  its  parts. 

Along  just  these  lines  of  individualized 
cosmopolitanism  the  American  school  is 
working  out  its  identity.  Some  of  our  com- 
posers have  shown  themselves  the  heirs  of 
European  lore  by  work  of  true  excellence 
in  the  larger  classic  and  romantic  forms. 

The  complaint  might  be  made,  indeed,  that 
the  empty,  incorrect  period  of  previous  Ameri- 


A  General  Survey.  25 

can  music  has  given  place  to  too  much  cor- 
rectness and  too  close  formation  on  the  old 
models.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  result  of 
the  long  and  faithful  discipleship  under  Ger- 
man methods,  and  need  not  be  made  much 
of  in  view  of  the  tendency  among  a  few 
masters  toward  original  expression.  For, 
after  all,  even  in  the  heyday  of  the  greatest 
art  periods,  only  a  handful  of  artists  have 
ever  stood  out  as  strongly  individual ;  the 
rest  have  done  good  work  as  faithful  imitators 
and  past  masters  in  technic.  It  is,  then, 
fortunate  that  there  is  any  tendency  at  all 
among  any  of  our  composers  to  forsake 
academic  content  with  classical  forms  and 
text-book  development  of  ideas. 

Two  things,  however,  are  matters  for  very 
serious  disappointment :  the  surprising  pau- 
city of  musical  composition  displaying  the 
national  sense  of  humor,  and  the  surprising 
abundance  of  purest  namby-pamby.  The 
presence  of   the   latter    class   might    be   ex- 


26     Contemporary  American  Composers. 

plained  by  the  absence  of  the  former,  for 
namby-pamby  cannot  exist  along  with  a 
healthy  sense  of  the  ludicrous.  There  has 
been  a  persistent  craze  among  native  song- 
writers for  little  flower-dramas  and  bird-trage- 
dies, which,  aiming  at  exquisiteness,  fall  far 
short  of  that  dangerous  goal  and  land  in 
flagrant  silliness.  This  weakness,  however, 
will  surely  disappear  in  time,  or  at  least 
diminish,  until  it  holds  no  more  prominent 
place  than  it  does  in  all  the  foreign  schools, 
where  it  exists  to  a  certain  extent. 

The  scherzo,  however,  must  grow  in  favor. 
It  is  impossible  that  the  most  jocose  of  races, 
a  nation  that  has  given  the  world  an  original 
school  of  humor,  should  not  carry  this  spirit 
over  into  its  music.  And  yet  almost  none  of 
the  comparatively  few  scherzos  that  have 
been  written  here  have  had  any  sense  of  the 
hilarious  jollity  that  makes  Beethoven's  wit 
side-shaking.  They  have  been  rather  of  the 
Chopinesque    sort,    mere    fantasy.      To   the 


A   General  Survey.  27 

composers  deserving  this  generalization  I 
recall  only  two  important  exceptions,  Edgar 
S.  Kelley  and  Harvey  Worthington  Loomis. 
The  opportunities  before  the  American 
composer  are  enormous,  and  only  half  appre- 
ciated. Whereas,  in  other  arts,  the  text- 
book claims  only  to  be  a  chronicle  of  what 
has  been  done  before,  in  music  the  text-book 
is  set  up  as  the  very  gospel  and  decalogue 
of  the  art.  The  theorists  have  so  thoroughly 
mapped  out  the  legitimate  resources  of  the 
composer,  and  have  so  prescribed  his  course 
in  nearly  every  possible  position,  that  music 
is  made  almost  more  of  a  mathematical  prob- 
lem than  the  free  expression  of  emotions  and 
aesthetics.  "  Correct  "  music  has  now  hardly 
more  liberty  than  Egyptian  sculpture  or 
Byzantine  painting  once  had.  Certain  disso- 
nances are  permitted,  and  certain  others,  no 
more  dissonant,  forbidden,  quite  arbitrarily, 
or  on  hair-splitting  theories.  It  is  as  if  one 
should    write    down   in  a  book  a  number  of 


28     Contemporary  American  Composers. 

charts,  giving  every  scheme  of  color  and 
every  juxtaposition  of  values  permissible  to  a 
painter.  The  music  of  certain  Oriental  na- 
tions, in  which  the  religious  orders  are  the 
art  censors,  has  stuck  fast  in  its  rut  because 
of  the  observance  of  rules  purely  arbitrary. 
Many  of  the  conventions  of  modern  Euro- 
pean music  are  no  more  scientific  or  original 
or  consistent ;  most  of  them  are  based  upon 
the  principle  that  the  whim  of  a  great  dead 
composer  is  worthy  to  be  the  law  of  any  liv- 
ing composer.  These  Blue  Laws  of  music  are 
constantly  assailed  surreptitiously  and  in  de- 
tail ;  and  yet  they  are  too  little  attacked  as  a 
whole.  But  music  should  be  a  democracy 
and  not  an  aristocracy,  or,  still  less,  a  hier- 
archy. 

There  is  a  great  opportunity  for  America 
to  carry  its  political  principles  into  this 
youngest  of  the  arts.  It  is  a  gratifying  sign 
that  one  of  the  most  prominent  theorists  of 
the  time,  an  American  scholar,  A.  J.  Good- 


A  General  Survey.  29 

rich,  is  adopting  some  such  attitude  toward 
music.  He  carries  dogma  to  the  minimum, 
and  accepts  success  in  the  individual  instance 
as  sufficient  authority  for  overstepping  any 
general  principle.  He  refers  to  a  contempo- 
rary American  composer  for  authority  and 
example  of  some  successful  unconventionality 
with  the  same  respect  with  which  he  would 
quote  a  European's  disregard  of  convention. 
His  pioneering  is  watched  with  interest 
abroad  as  well  as  here. 

Worthy  of  mention  along  with  Mr.  Good- 
rich' original  work  is  the  effort  of  Homer 
A.  Norris  to  instil  French  ideas  of  musical 
theory.  As  a  counterweight  to  the  German 
monopoly  of  our  attention,  his  influence  is  to 
be  cordially  welcomed. 

Now  that  Americanism  is  rife  in  the  land, 
some  of  the  glowing  interest  in  things  na- 
tional might  well  be  turned  toward  an  art 
that  has  been  too  much  and  too  long  neg- 
lected among  us. 


30     Contemporary  American  Composers. 

The  time  has  come  to  take  American 
music  seriously.  The  day  for  boasting  is  not 
yet  here,  —  if  indeed  it  ever  comes  ;  but  the 
day  of  penitent  humility  is  surely  past. 

A  student  of  the  times,  Mr.  E.  S.  Martin, 
shortly  before  the  Spanish  War,  commented 
on  the  radical  change  that  had  come  over  the 
spirit  of  American  self-regard.  We  were 
notorious  in  the  earlier  half  of  the  century 
for  boasting,  not  only  of  the  virtues  we  in- 
dubitably had,  but  of  qualities  that  existed 
solely  in  our  own  imagination.  We  sounded 
our  barbaric  yawp  over  the  roofs  of  the 
world.  A  century  of  almost  unanimous  Euro- 
pean disapproval,  particularly  of  our  artistic 
estate,  finally  converted  us  from  this  attitude 
to  one  of  deprecation  almost  abject.  Having 
learned  the  habit  of  modesty,  it  has  clung  to 
us  even  now,  when  some  of  the  foremost 
artists  in  the  world  are  Americans. 

Modesty,  is,  of  course,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  virtues,  but  excess  is  possible 


A  General  Survey.  3 1 

and  dangerous.  As  Shakespeare's  Florio's 
Montaigne  has  it :  "  We  may  so  seize  on 
vertue,  that  if  we  embrace  it  with  an  over- 
greedy  and  violent  desire,  it  may  become 
vitious."  In  the  case  of  the  American  com- 
poser it  is  certainly  true  that  we  "  excessively 
demeane  ourselves  in  a  good  action."  If, 
then,  the  glory  of  our  late  successes  in  the 
field  of  battle  shall  bring  about  a  recrudes- 
cence of  our  old  vanity,  it  will  at  least  have 
its  compensations. 

Meanwhile,  the  American  artist,  having 
long  ago  ceased  to  credit  himself  with  all  the 
virtues,  has  been  for  years  earnestly  working 
out  his  own  salvation  in  that  spirit  of  solemn 
determination  which  makes  it  proverbial  for 
the  American  to  get  anything  he  sets  his  heart 
on.  He  has  submitted  himself  to  a  devout 
study  of  the  Old  Masters  and  the  New  ;  he 
has  made  pilgrimage  after  pilgrimage  to  the 
ancient  temples  of  art,  and  has  brought  home 
mfluences  that  cannot    but   work    for  good. 


32      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

The  American  painter  has  won  more  Euro- 
pean  acceptance  than  any  of  our  other  artists, 
though  this  is  partly  due  to  his  persistence 
in  knocking  at  the  doors  of  the  Paris  salons, 
and  gaining  the  universal  prestige  of  admis- 
sion there.  There  is,  unfortunately,  no  such 
place  to  focus  the  attention  of  the  world 
on  a  musician.  Yet,  through  the  success  of 
American  musical  students  among  their  rivals 
abroad  ;  through  the  concerts  they  are  giving 
more  and  more  frequently  in  foreign  coun- 
tries;  through  the  fact  that  a  number  of 
European  music  houses  are  publishing  in- 
creasing quantities  of  American  compositions, 
he  is  making  his  way  to  foreign  esteem 
almost  more  rapidly  than  at  home. 

A  prominent  German  critic,  indeed,  has 
recently  put  himself  on  record  as  accepting 
the  founding  of  an  American  school  of  music 
as  a  fait  accompli.  And  no  student  of  the 
times,  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  seek  the 
sources  of    our  art,  and    observe    its   actual 


A  Getieral  Stirvey.  33 

vitality,  need  be  ashamed  of  looking  at  the 
present  state  of  music  in  America  with  a 
substantial  pride  and  a  greater  hope  for  the 
future. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    INNOVATORS. 

Edward  Alexander  MacDowell. 


The  matter  of  precedence  in  creative  art 
is  as  hopeless  of  solution  as  it  is  unimportant. 
And  yet  it  seems  appropriate  to  say,  in  writing 
of  E.  A.  MacDowell,  that  an  almost  unani- 
mous vote  would  grant  him  rank  as  the 
greatest  of  American  composers,  while  not 
34 


The  Innovators.  35 

a  few  ballots  would  indicate  him  as  the  best 
of  living  music  writers. 

But  this,  to  repeat,  is  not  vital,  the  main 
thing  being  that  MacDowell  has  a  distinct 
and  impressive  individuality,  and  uses  his 
profound  scholarship  in  the  pursuit  of  novelty 
that  is  not  cheaply  sensational,  and  is  yet 
novelty.  He  has,  for  instance,  theories  as  to 
the  textures  of  sounds,  and  his  chord-forma- 
tions and  progressions  are  quite  his  own. 

His  compositions  are  superb  processions, 
in  which  each  participant  is  got  up  with  the 
utmost  personal  splendor.  His  generalship 
is  great  enough  to  preserve  the  unity  and  the 
progress  of  the  pageant.  With  him  no  note 
in  the  melody  is  allowed  to  go  neglected,  ill- 
mounted  on  common  chords  in  the  bass,  or 
cheap-garbed  in  trite  triads.  Each  tone  is 
made  to  suggest  something  of  its  multitudi- 
nous possibilities.  Through  any  geometrical 
point,  an  infinite  number  of  lines  can  be 
drawn.     This   is   almost    the    case  with  any 


36      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

note  of  a  melody.  It  is  the  recognition  and 
the  practice  of  this  truth  that  gives  the  latter- 
day  schools  of  music  such  a  lusciousness  and 
warmth  of  harmony.  No  one  is  a  more 
earnest  student  of  these  effects  than  Mac- 
Dowell. 

He  believes  that  it  is  necessary,  at  this 
late  day,  if  you  would  have  a  chord  "bite," 
to  put  a  trace  of  acid  in  its  sweetness.  With 
this  clue  in  mind,  his  unusual  procedures 
become  more  explicable  without  losing  their 
charm. 

New  York  is  rather  the  Mecca  than  the 
birthplace  of  artists,  but  it  can  boast  the 
nativity  of  MacDowell,  who  improvised  his 
first  songs  here  December  18,  1861.  He 
began  the  study  of  the  piano  at  an  early  age. 
One  of  his  teachers  was  Mme.  Teresa  Car- 
reno,  to  whom  he  has  dedicated  his  second 
concerto  for  the  piano. 

In  1876  he  went  to  Paris  and  entered  the 
Conservatoire,  where  he  studied  theory  under 


The  Innovators.  37 

Savard,  and  the  piano  under  Marmontel.  He 
went  to  Wiesbaden  to  study  with  Ehlert  in 
1879,  ^"<i  then  to  Frankfort,  where  Carl 
Heyman  taught  him  piano  and  Joachim  Raff 
composition.  The  influence  of  Raff  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  in  MacDowell's  music,  and 
I  have  been  told  that  the  great  romancist 
made  a  prot^g^  of  him,  and  would  lock  him  in 
a  room  for  hours  till  he  had  worked  out  the 
most  appalling  musical  problems.  Through 
Raff's  influence  he  became  first  piano  teacher 
at  the  Darmstadt  Conservatorium  in  1881. 
The  next  year  Raff  introduced  him  to  Liszt, 
who  became  so  enthusiastic  over  his  composi- 
tions that  he  got  him  the  honor  of  playing 
his  first  piano  suite  before  the  formidable 
Allgenieiner  DeiUschcr  Musik  Vercin,  which 
accorded  him  a  warm  reception.  The  follow- 
ing years  were  spent  in  successful  concert 
work,  till  1884,  when  MacDowell  settled 
down  to  teaching  and  composing  in  Wies- 
baden.     Four  years  later  he  came  to  Boston, 


38      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

writing,  teaching,  and  giving  occasional  con- 
certs. Thence  he  returned  to  New  York, 
where  he  was  called  to  the  professorship  of 
music  at  Columbia  University.  Princeton 
University  has  given  him  that  unmusical  de- 
gree, Mus.  Doc. 

MacDowell  has  met  little  or  none  of  that 
critical  recalcitrance  that  blocked  the  early 
success  of  so  many  masters.  His  works 
succeeded  from  the  first  in  winning  serious 
favor ;  they  have  been  much  played  in  Ger- 
many, in  Vienna,  St.  Petersburg,  Amsterdam, 
and  Paris,  one  of  them  having  been  performed 
three  times  in  a  single  season  at  Breslau. 

MacDowell's  Scotch  ancestry  is  always 
telling  tales  on  him.  The  "  Scotch  snap  "  is 
a  constant  rhythmic  device,  the  old  scale  and 
the  old  Scottish  cadences  seem  to  be  native 
to  his  heart.  Perhaps  one  might  find  some 
kinship  between  MacDowell  and  the  con- 
temporary Glasgow  school  of  painters,  that 
clique  so  isolated,  so  daring,  and  yet  so  ear- 


The  Innovators.  39 

nest  and  solid.  Says  James  Huneker  in  a 
monograph  published  some  years  ago :  "His 
coloring  reminds  me  at  times  of  Grieg,  but 
when  I  tracked  the  resemblance  to  its  lair, 
I  found  only  Scotch,  as  Grieg's  grand-folk 
were  Greggs,  and  from  Scotland.  It  is  all 
Northern  music  with  something  elemental  in 
it,  and  absolutely  free  from  the  heavy,  lan- 
guorous odors  of  the  South  or  the  morbidezza 
of  Poland. 

Some  of  MacDowell's  most  direct  writing 
has  been  in  the  setting  of  the  poems  of 
Burns,  such  as  "  Deserted  "  ("  Ye  banks  and 
braes  o*  bonnie  Doon,"  op.  9),  "  Menie,"  and 
"My  Jean"  (op.  34).  These  are  strongly 
marked  by  that  ineffably  fine  melodic  flavor 
characteristic  of  Scottish  music,  while  in  the 
accompaniments  they  admit  a  touch  of  the 
composer's  own  individuality.  In  his  accom- 
paniments it  is  noteworthy  that  he  is  almost 
never  strictly  contramelodic. 

The  songs  of  opera    1 1    and    1 2    have   a 


40      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

decided  Teutonism,  but  he  has  found  himself 
by  opus  40,  a  volume  of  "  Six  Love  Songs," 
containing  half  a  dozen  flawless  gems  it  is  a 
pity  the  public  should  not  know  more  widely. 
A  later  book,  "  Eight  Songs  "  (op,  47),  is  also 
a  cluster  of  worthies.  The  lilt  and  sympathy 
of  "The  Robin  Sings  in  the  Apple-tree," 
and  its  unobtrusive  new  harmonies  and  novel 
effects,  in  strange  accord  with  truth  of  ex- 
pression, mark  all  the  other  songs,  particu- 
larly the  "  Midsummer  Lullaby,"  with  its 
accompaniment  as  delicately  tinted  as  sum- 
mer clouds.  Especially  noble  is  "  The  Sea," 
which  has  all  the  boom  and  roll  of  the  deep- 
brooding  ocean. 

His  collections  of  flower-songs  (op.  26)  I 
confess  not  liking.  Though  they  are  not 
without  a  certain  exquisiteness,  they  seem 
overdainty  and  wastefully  frail,  excepting, 
possibly,  the  "Clover"  and  the  "Blue-bell." 
It  is  not  at  all  their  brevity,  but  their  trivial- 
ity, that  vexes  an  admirer  of  the  large  ability 


The  Innovators.  41 

that  labored  over  them.  They  are  dedicated 
to  EmiUo  Agramonte,  one  of  MacDowell's 
first  prophets,  and  one  of  the  earhest  and 
most  active  agents  for  the  recognition  of  the 
American  composer. 

In  the  lyrics  in  opus  56  and  opus  58  Mac- 
Dowell  has  turned  song  to  the  unusual  pur- 
poses of  a  landscape  impressionism  of  places 
and  moods  rather  than  people. 

For  men's  voices  there  are  some  deftly 
composed  numbers  curiously  devoted  to  lul- 
laby subjects.  The  barcarolle  for  mixed 
chorus  and  accompaniment  on  the  piano  for 
four  hands  obtains  a  wealth  of  color,  en- 
hanced by  the  constant  division  of  the  voices. 

Studying  as  he  did  with  Eaff,  it  is  but 
natural  that  MacDowell  should  have  been 
influenced  strongly  toward  the  poetic  and 
fantastic  and  programmatic  elements  that 
mark  the  "  Forest  Symphony  "  and  the 
"  Lenore  Overture "  of  his  master. 

It  is  hard  to  say  just  how  far  this  descrip- 


42      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

tive  music  can  go.  The  skill  of  each  com^ 
poser  must  dictate  his  own  limits.  As  an 
example  of  successful  pieces  of  this  kind, 
consider  MacDowell's  "The  Eagle."  It  is 
the  musical  realization  of  Tennyson's  well- 
known  poem : 

"  He  clasps  the  crag  with  crooked  hands; 
Close  to  the  sun  in  lonely  lands, 
Ring'd  with  the  azure  world,  he  stands. 
The  wrinkled  sea  beneath  him  crawls ; 
He  watches  from  his  mountain  walls, 
And  like  a  thunderbolt  he  falls." 

Of  course  the  crag  and  the  crooked  hands 
and  the  azure  world  must  be  granted  the 
composer,  but  general  exaltation  and  loneli- 
ness are  expressed  in  the  severe  melody  of 
the  opening.  The  wrinkling  and  crawling 
of  the  sea  far  below  are  splendidly  achieved 
in  the  soft,  shimmering  liquidity  of  the  music. 
Then  there  are  two  abrupt,  but  soft,  short 
chords  that  will  represent,  to  the  imaginative, 
the  quick  fixing  of  the  eagle's  heart  on  some 


The  Innovators.  43 

prey  beneath  ;  and  there  follows  a  sudden 
precipitation  down  the  keyboard,  fortissis- 
sime,  that  represents  the  thunderous  swoop 
of  the  eagle  with  startling  effect. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  "  Moonshine  "  seems 
to  be  attempting  too  much.  "Winter"  does 
better,  for  it  has  a  freezing  stream,  a  mill- 
wheel,  and  a  "widow  bird."  These  "four 
little  poems"  of  opus  32  had  been  pre- 
ceded by  six  fine  "  Idylls "  based  on  lyrics 
of  Goethe's.  The  first,  a  forest  scene,  has 
a  distinct  flavor  of  the  woods,  the  second  is 
all  laziness  and  drowsiness,  and  the  third  is 
moonlight  mystery.  The  fourth  is  as  intense 
in  its  suppressed  spring  ecstasy  as  the  radi- 
ant poem  itself  singing  how 

"  Soft  the  ripples  spill  and  hurry 
To  the  opulent  embankment." 

The  six  short  "Poems"  (op.  31)  based  on 
poems  of  Heine's  are  particularly  successful, 
especially  in  the  excellent  opportunity  of  the 


44      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

lyric  describing  the  wail  of  the  Scottish 
woman  who  plays  her  harp  on  the  cliff,  and 
sings  above  the  raging  of  sea  and  wind.  The 
third  catches  most  happily  the  whimsicality 
of  the  poet's  reminiscences  of  childhood,  but 
hardly,  I  think,  the  contrasting  depth  and 
wildness  of  his  complaint  that,  along  with 
childhood's  games,  have  vanished  Faith  and 
Love  and  Truth.  In  the  last,  however,  the 
cheery  majesty  that  realizes  Heine's  likening 
of  Death  to  a  cool  night  after  the  sultry 
day  of  Life,  is  superb. 

Then  there  are  some  four-hand  pieces,  two 
collections,  that  leave  no  excuse  for  clinging 
to  the  hackneyed  classics  or  modern  trash. 
They  are  not  at  all  difficult,  and  the  second 
player  has  something  to  employ  his  mind  be- 
sides accompanying  chords.  They  are  meaty, 
and  effective  almost  to  the  point  of  catch i- 
ness.  The  "  Tale  of  the  Knights "  is  full 
of  chivalric  fire  and  martial  swing,  while  the 
**  Ballad  "  is  as  exquisitely  dainty  as  a  peach- 


The  Innovators.  45 

blossom.  The  "  Hindoo  Maiden  "  has  a  deal 
of  the  thoroughly  Oriental  color  and  feeling 
that  distinguish  the  three  solos  of  "  Les 
Orientales,"  of  which  "  Clair  de  Lune "  is 
one  of  his  most  original  and  graceful  writings. 
The  duet,  "  In  Tyrol,"  has  a  wonderful  crystal 
carillon  and  a  quaint  shepherd  piping  a  faint 
reminiscence  of  the  Wagnerian  school  of 
shepherds.  This  is  one  of  a  series  of  "  Moon 
Pictures "  for  four  hands,  based  on  Hans 
Christian  Andersen's  lore.  Two  concertos 
for  piano  and  orchestra  are  dazzling  feats  of 
virtuosity ;  one  of  them  is  reviewed  at  length 
in  A.  J.  Goodrich'  book,  "Musical  Analysis." 
He  has  written  also  a  book  of  artistic  moment 
called  "Twelve  Virtuoso-Studies,"  and  two 
books  of  actual  gymnastics  for  piano  practice. 
But  MacDowell  did  not  reach  his  freedom 
without  a  struggle  against  academia.  His 
opus  10  is  a  piano  suite  published  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two,  and  opus  14  is  another  ;  both 
contain  such  obsolescences  as  a  presto,  fugue. 


46      Contemporary  American  Composers. 


CLAIR  DE  LUNE. 


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Copyright,  1889,  Arthur  P.  Schmit. 


The  Innovators. 


47 


48      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

scherzino,  and  the  like.  But  for  all  the 
classic  garb,  the  hands  are  the  hands  of 
Esau,  In  one  of  the  pieces  there  is  even  a 
motto  tucked,  "  All  hope  leave  ye  behind  who 
enter  here  ! "  Can  he  have  referred  to  the 
limbo  of  classicism  ? 

It  is  a  far  cry  from  these  to  the  liberal- 
ity that  inspired  the  new  impressionism  pf 
"Woodland  Sketches"  (op.  51)  and  "Sea 
Pieces"  (op.  55),  in  which  he  gives  a  legiti- 
mate musical  presentation  of  a  faintly  per- 
fumed "Wild  Rose"  or  "Water  Lily,"  but 
goes  farther,  and  paints,  with  wonderful  tone, 
the  moods  inspired  by  reverie  upon  the  un- 
couth dignity  and  stoic  savagery  of  "  An 
Indian  Lodge,"  the  lonely  New  England 
twilight  of  "A  Deserted  Farm,"  and  all  the 
changing  humors  of  the  sea,  majesty  of  sun- 
set or  star-rise,  and  even  the  lucent  emerald 
of  an  iceberg.  His  "  From  Uncle  Remus  " 
is  not  so  successful  ;  indeed,  MacDowell  is 
not  sympathetic  with  negro  music,  and  thinks 


The  Innovators.  49 

that  if  we  are  to  found  a  national  school  on 
some  local  manner,  we  should  find  the  Indian 
more  congenial  than  the  lazy,  sensual  slave. 

He  has  carried  this  belief  into  action,  not 
only  by  his  scientific  interest  in  the  collection 
and  compilation  of  the  folk-music  of  our 
prairies,  but  by  his  artistic  use  of  actual 
Indian  themes  in  one  of  his  most  important 
works,  his  "  Indian  Suite  "  for  full  orchestra, 
a  work  that  has  been  often  performed,  and 
always  with  the  effect  of  a  new  and  profound 
sensation,  particularly  in  the  case  of  the 
deeply  impressive  dirge. 

A  proof  of  the  success  of  MacDowell  as  a 
writer  in  the  large  forms  is  the  fact  that 
practically  all  of  his  orchestral  works  are  pub- 
lished in  Germany  and  here,  not  only  in  full 
score,  but  in  arrangement  for  four  hands. 
They  include  "  Hamlet ;  "  "  Ophelia  "  (op. 
22)  ;  "  Launcelot  and  Elaine  "  (op.  26),  with 
its  strangely  mellow  and  varied  use  of  horns 
for    Launcelot,    and    the    entrusting    of    the 


50      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

plaintive  fate  of  "  the  lily  maid  of  Astolat " 
to  the  string  and  wood-wind  choirs ;  "  The 
Saracens"  and  "The  Lovely  Alda  "  (op,  30), 
two  fragments  from  the  Song  of  Roland  ;  and 
the  Suite  (op.  42),  which  has  been  played  at 
least  eight  times  in  Germany  and  eleven  times 
here. 

The  first  movement  of  this  last  is  called 
"In  a  Haunted  Forest."  You  are  reminded 
of  Siegfried  by  the  very  name  of  the  thing, 
and  the  music  enforces  the  remembrance 
somewhat,  though  very  slightly. 

Everything  reminds  one  of  Wagner  nowa- 
days, —  even  his  predecessors.  Rudyard  Kip- 
ling has  by  his  individuality  so  copyrighted 
one  of  the  oldest  verse-forms,  the  ballad, 
that  even  "  Chevy  Chace  "  looks  like  an  ad- 
vance plagiarism.  So  it  is  with  Wagner. 
Almost  all  later  music,  and  much  of  the 
earlier,  sounds  Wagnerian.  But  MacDowell 
has  been  reminded  of  Bayreuth  very  infre- 
quently in    this  work.     The  opening    move- 


The  Innovators.  51 

ment  begins  with  a  sotto  voce  syncopation 
that  is  very  presentative  of  the  curious  audi- 
ble silence  of  a  forest.  The  wilder  moments 
are  superbly  instrumented. 

The  second  movement,  "Summer  Idyl," 
is  delicious,  particularly  in  the  chances  it 
gives  the  flautist.  There  is  a  fragmentary 
cantilena  which  would  make  the  fortune  of 
a  comic  opera.  The  third  number,  "  In  Octo- 
ber," is  particularly  welcome  in  our  music, 
which  is  strangely  and  sadly  lacking  in 
humor.  There  is  fascinating  wit  through- 
out this  harvest  revel.  "The  Shepherdess' 
Song "  is  the  fourth  movement.  It  is  not 
pr^cieuse,  and  it  is  not  banal ;  but  its  sim- 
plicity of  pathos  is  a  whit  too  simple.  The 
final  number,  "Forest  Spirits,"  is  a  brilliant 
climax.  The  Suite  as  a  whole  is  an  impor- 
tant work.  It  has  detail  of  the  most  charm- 
ing art.  Best  of  all,  it  is  staunchly  individual. 
It  is  MacDowellian. 

While  the  modern  piano  sonata  is  to  me 


52      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

anathema  as  a  rule,  there  are  none  of  Mac- 
Dowell's  works  that  I  Hke  better  than  his 
writings  in  this  form.  They  are  to  me  far 
the  best  since  Beethoven,  not  excepting  even 
Chopin's  {pace  his  greatest  prophet,  Huneker). 
They  seem  to  me  to  be  of  such  stuff  as  Bee- 
thoven would  have  woven  had  he  known  in 
fact  the  modem  piano  he  saw  in  fancy. 

The  "  Sonata  Tragica  "  (op.  45)  begins  in 
G  minor,  with  a  bigly  passionate,  slow  intro- 
duction (metronomed  in  the  composer's  copy, 

J-50).  The  first  subject  is  marked  in  the 
same  copy,  though  not  in  the  printed  book, 

J -69,  and  the  appealingly  pathetic  second 
subject  is  a  little  slower.  The  free  fantasy  is 
full  of  storm  and  stress,  with  a  fierce  pedal- 
point  on  the  trilled  leading-tone.  In  the 
reprise  the  second  subject,  which  was  at  first 
in  the  dominant  major,  is  now  in  the  tonic 
major,  though  the  key  of  the  sonata  is  G 
minor.  The  allegro  is  metronomed  J-138, 
and  it  is  very  short  and  very  wild.     Through- 


The  Innovators.  53 

out,  the  grief  is  the  grief  of  a  strong  soul ;  it 
never  degenerates  into  whine.  Its  largo  is 
like  the  tread  of  an  ^schylean  choros,  its 
allegro  movements  are  wild  with  anguish, 
and  the  occasional  uplifting  into  the  major 
only  emphasizes  the  sombre  whole,  like  the 
little  rifts  of  clearer  harmony  in  Beethoven's 
"Funeral  March  on  the  Death  of  a  Hero." 

The  last  movement  begins  with  a  ringing 
pomposo,  and  I  cannot  explain  its  meaning 
better  than  by  quoting  Mrs.  MacDowell's 
words :  "  Mr.  MacDowell's  idea  was,  so  to 
speak,  as  follows :  He  wished  to  heighten 
the  darkness  of  tragedy  by  making  it  follow 
closely  on  the  heels  of  triumph.  Therefore, 
he  attempted  to  make  the  last  movement  a 
steadily  progressive  triumph,  which,  at  its 
climax,  is  utterly  broken  and  shattered.  In 
doing  this  he  has  tried  to  epitomize  the  whole 
work.  While  in  the  other  movements  he 
aimed  at  expressing  tragic  details,  in  the  last 
he  has  tried  to  generalize  ;  thinking  that  the 


54      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

most  poignant  tragedy  is  that  of  catastrophe 
in  the  hour  of  triumph." 

The  third  sonata  (op.  57)  is  dedicated  to 
Grieg  and  to  the  musical  exploitation  of  an 
old-time  Skald  reciting  glorious  battles,  loves, 
and  deaths  in  an  ancient  castle.  The  atmos- 
phere of  mystery  and  barbaric  grandeur  is 
obtained  and  sustained  by  means  new  to 
piano  literature  and  potent  in  color  and  vigor. 
The  sonata  formula  is  warped  to  the  purpose 
of  the  poet,  but  the  themes  have  the  classic 
ideal  of  kinship.  The  battle-power  of  the 
work  is  tremendous.  Huneker  calls  it  "an 
epic  of  rainbow  and  thunder,"  and  Henry  T. 
Finck,  who  has  for  many  years  devoted  a 
part  of  his  large  ardor  to  MacDowell's  cause, 
says  of  the  work  :  "  It  is  MacDowellish,  — 
more  MacDowellish  than  anything  he  has 
yet  written.  It  is  the  work  of  a  musical 
thinker.  There  are  harmonies  as  novel  as 
those  we  encounter  in  Schubert,  Chopin,  or 
Grieg,  yet  with  a  stamp  of  their  own." 


The  Innovators.  55 

The  "  Sonata  Eroica  "  (op.  50)  bears  the  leg- 
end "Flos  regum  Arthurus."  It  is  also  in  G 
minor.  The  spirit  of  King  Arthur  dominates 
the  work  ideally,  and  justifies  not  only  the 
ferocious  and  warlike  first  subject  with  its 
peculiar  and  influential  rhythm,  but  the  old- 
fashioned  and  unadorned  folk-tone  of  the 
second  subject.  In  the  working  out  there  is 
much  bustle  and  much  business  of  trumpets. 
In  the  reprise  the  folk-song  appears  in  the 
tonic  minor,  taken  most  unconventionally  in 
the  bass  under  elaborate  arpeggiations  in  the 
right  hand.  The  coda,  as  in  the  other  sonata, 
is  simply  a  strong  passage  of  climax.  Arthur's 
supernatural  nature  doubtless  suggested  the 
second  movement,  with  its  elfin  airs,  its  flib- 
bertigibbet virtuosity,  and  its  magic  of  color. 
The  third  movement  might  have  been  in- 
spired by  Tennyson's  version  of  Arthur's  fare- 
well to  Guinevere,  it  is  such  a  rich  fabric  of 
grief.  The  finale  seems  to  me  to  picture  the 
Morte  d'Arthur,  beginning  with  the  fury  of  a 


56      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

storm  along  the  coast,  and  the  battle  "  on  the 
waste  sand  by  the  waste  sea."  Moments 
of  fire  are  succeeded  by  exquisite  deeps  of 
quietude,  and  the  death  and  apotheosis  of 
Arthur  are  hinted  with  daring  and  complete 
equivalence  of  art  with  need. 

Here  is  no  longer  the  tinkle  and  swirl  of  the 
elf  dances  ;  here  is  no  more  of  the  tireless 
search  for  novelty  in  movement  and  color. 
This  is  "  a  flash  of  the  soul  that  can."  Here 
is  Beethoven  redivivus.  For  half  a  century 
we  have  had  so  much  pioneering  and  scien- 
tific exploration  after  piano  color  and  tender- 
ness and  fire,  that  men  have  neglected  its 
might  and  its  tragic  powers.  Where  is  the 
piano-piece  since  Beethoven  that  has  the 
depth,  the  breadth,  the  height  of  this  huge 
solemnity  ?  Chopin's  sensuous  wailing  does 
not  afford  it.  Schumann's  complex  eccen- 
tricities have  not  given  it  out.  Brahms  is  too 
passionless.  Wagner  neglected  the  piano. 
It  remained  for  a  Yankee  to  find  the  austere 


EDGAR    STILLMAN    KELLEY. 


The  Innovators.  57 

peak  again  !  and  that,  too,  when  the  sonata 
was  supposed  to  be  a  form  as  exhausted  as 
the  epic  poem.  But  all  this  is  the  praise  that 
one  is  laughed  at  for  bestowing  except  on  the 
graves  of  genius. 

The  cautious  Ben  Jonson,  when  his  erst- 
while taproom  roisterer.  Will  Shakespeare, 
was  dead,  defied  "  insolent  Greece  or  haughty 
Rome "  to  show  his  superior.  With  such 
authority,  I  feel  safe  in  at  least  defying  the 
contemporary  schools  of  insolent  Russia  or 
haughty  Germany  to  send  forth  a  better 
musicwright  than  our  fellow  townsman, 
Jfcdward  MacDowell. 


Edgar  Stillman  Kelley. 

While  his  name  is  known  wherever 
American  music  is  known  in  its  better  as- 
pects, yet,  like  many  another  American,  his 
real  art  can  be  discovered  only  from  his 
manuscripts.       In    these    he    shows    a   very 


58      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

munificence   of   enthusiasm,   scholarship,  in- 
vention, humor,  and  originality. 


Kelley  is  as  thorough  an  American  by 
descent  as  one  could  ask  for,  his  maternal 
ancestors  having  settled  in  this  country  in 
1630,  his  paternal  progenitors  in  1640, 
A.  D.  Indeed,  one  of  the  ancestors  of  his 
father  made  the  dies  for  the  pine-tree  shil- 
ling, and  a  great-great-grandfather  fought  in 
the  Revolution. 

Kelley  began  his  terrestrial  career  April 
14,  1857,  in  Wisconsin.  His  father  was  a 
revenue  officer;  his  mother  a  skilled  musi- 
cian, who  taught  him  the  piano  from  his 
eighth  year  to  his  seventeenth,  when  he  went 


The  Innovators.  59 

to  Chicago  and  studied  harmony  and  coun- 
terpoint under  Clarence  Eddy,  and  the  piano 
under  Ledochowski.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
that  Kelley  was  diverted  into  music  from 
painting  by  hearing  "  BUnd  Tom  "  play  Liszt's 
transcription  of  Mendelssohn's  "  Midsummer 
Night's  Dream  "  music.  I  imagine  that  this 
idiot-genius  had  very  little  other  influence  of 
this  sort  in  his  picturesque  career. 

After  two  years  in  Chicago,  Kelley  went 
to  Germany,  where,  in  Stuttgart,  he  studied 
the  piano  with  Kruger  and  Speidel,  organ 
with  Finck,  composition  and  orchestration 
with  Seiffritz.  While  in  Germany,  Kelley 
wrote  a  brilliant  and  highly  successful  con- 
cert polonaise  for  four  hands,  and  a  composi- 
tion for  strings. 

In  1880  he  was  back  in  America  and 
settled  in  San  Francisco,  with  whose  musical 
life  he  was  long  and  prominently  identified 
as  a  teacher  and  critic.  Here  he  wrote  his 
first  large  work,  the  well-known  melodramatic 


6o      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

music  to  "Macbeth."  A  local  benefactor, 
John  Parrot,  paid  the  expenses  of  a  public 
performance,  the  great  success  of  which 
persuaded  McKee  Rankin,  the  actor,  to 
make  an  elaborate  production  of  both  play 
and  music.  This  ran  for  three  weeks  in  San 
Francisco  to  crowded  houses,  which  is  a  re- 
markable record  for  many  reasons.  A  shabby 
New  York  production  at  an  ill-chosen  theatre 
failed  to  give  the  work  an  advantageous  hear- 
ing ;  but  it  has  been  played  by  orchestras 
several  times  since,  and  William  H.  Sherwood 
has  made  transcriptions  of  parts  of  it  for 
piano  solo. 

The  "  Macbeth "  music  is  of  such  solid 
value  that  it  reaches  the  dignity  of  a  flowing 
commentary.  Beyond  and  above  this  it  is  an 
interpretation,  making  vivid  and  awesome  the 
deep  import  of  the  play,  till  even  the  least 
imaginative  auditor  must  feel  its  thrill. 

Thus  the  gathering  of  the  witches  begins 
with  a  slow  horror,  which  is  surely  Shake- 


The  Innovators.  6l 

speare's  idea,  and  not  the  comic-opera  can- 
can it  is  frequently  made.  As  various  other 
elfs  and  terrors  appear,  they  are  appropriately 
characterized  in  the  music,  which  also  adds 
mightily  to  the  terror  of  the  murder  scene. 
Throughout,  the  work  is  that  of  a  thinker. 
Like  much  of  Kelley's  other  music,  it  is  also 
the  work  of 'a  fearless  and  skilled  program- 
matist,  especially  in  the  battle-scenes,  where 
it  suggests  the  crash  of  maces  and  swords, 
and  the  blare  of  horns,  the  galloping  of 
horses,  and  the  general  din  of  huge  battle. 
Leading-motives  are  much  used,  too,  with 
good  effect  and  most  ingenious  elaboration, 
notably  the  Banquo  motive.  A  certain 
amount  of  Gaelic  color  also  adds  interest 
to  the  work,  particularly  a  stirring  Gaelic 
march.  The  orchestration  shows  both 
scholarship  and  daring. 

An  interesting  subject  is  suggested  by 
Kelley's  experience  in  hunting  out  a  good 
motif  for  the  galloping  horses  of  "Macbeth." 


62      Cofitemporary  American  Composers. 

He  could  find  nothing  suitably  representative 
of  storm-hoofed  chargers  till  his  dreams  came 
to  the  rescue  with  a  genuinely  inspired  theme. 
Several  other  exquisite  ideas  have  come  to 
him  in  his  sleep  in  this  way  ;  one  of  them 
is  set  down  in  the  facsimile  reproduced 
herewith.  On  one  occasion  he  even  dreamed 
an  original  German  poem  and  a  fitting  musi- 
cal setting. 

Dr.  Wm.  A.  Hammond,  in  his  book  on 
"Sleep  and  Its  Derangements,"  is  inclined 
to  scout  the  possibility  of  a  really  valuable 
inspiration  in  sleep.  He  finds  no  satisfactory 
explanation  for  Tartini's  famous  "Devil's 
Sonata "  or  Coleridge'  proverbial  "  Kubla 
Khan."  He  takes  refuge  in  saying  that  at 
least  the  result  could  not  be  equal  to  the 
dreamer's  capabilities  when  awake ;  but 
Kelley's  "  Macbeth "  music  was  certainly 
an  improvement  on  what  he  could  invent  out 
of  the  land  of  Nod. 

After    composing    a    comic    opera,    which 


The  Innovators.  63 

was  refused  by  the  man  for  whom  it  was  writ- 
ten because  it  was  too  good,  he  drifted  into 
journalism,  and  wrote  reviews  and  critiques 
which  show  a  very  liberal  mind  capable 
of  appreciating  things  both  modern  and 
classic. 

Kelley  was  again  persuaded  to  write  a 
comic  opera  to  the  artistic  libretto,  "  Puri- 
tania,"  by  C.  M.  S.  McLellan,  a  brilliant 
satirist,  who  has  since  won  fortune  by  his 
highly  successful  and  frequently  artistic  bur- 
lesquery.  The  work  won  excellent  praise  in 
Boston,  where  it  had  one  hundred  perform- 
ances. The  work  musically  was  not  only 
conscientious,  but  really  graceful  and  capti- 
vating. It  received  the  most  glowing  en- 
comiums from  people  of  musical  culture,  and 
largely  enhanced  Kelley 's  musical  reputation 
in  its  run  of  something  over  a  year.  On  its 
tour  Kelley  was  also  the  musical  conductor, 
in  which  capacity  he  has  frequently  served 
elsewhere. 


64      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Kelley  plainly  deserves  preeminence  among 
American  composers  for  his  devotion  to,  and 
skill  in,  the  finer  sorts  of  humorous  music. 
No  other  American  has  written  so  artfully, 
so  happily,  or  so  ambitiously  in  this  field.  A 
humorous  symphony  and  a  Chinese  suite 
are  his  largest  works  on  this  order. 

The  symphony  follows  the  life  of  "  Gulliver 
in  Lilliput."  In  development  and  intertwin- 
ing of  themes  and  in  brilliance  of  orchestra- 
tion, it  maintains  symphonic  dignity,  while  in 
play  of  fancy,  suggestive  programmaticism, 
and  rollicking  enthusiasm  it  is  infectious 
with  wit.  Gulliver  himself  is  richly  charac- 
terized with  a  burly,  blustering  English 
theme.  The  storm  that  throws  him  on  the 
shores  of  Lilliput  is  handled  with  complete 
mastery,  certain  phrases  picturing  the  toss  of 
the  billows,  another  the  great  roll  of  the 
boat,  others  the  rattle  of  the  rigging  and  the 
panic  of  the  crew ;  and  all  wrought  up  to  a 
demoniac    climax    at    the    wreck.       As    the 


The  Innovators.  65 

stranded  Gulliver  falls  asleep,  the  music  hints 
his  nodding  off  graphically.  The  entrance  of 
the  Lilliputians  is  perhaps  the  happiest  bit 
of  the  whole  delicious  work.  By  adroit  de- 
vices in  instrumentation,  their  tiny  band 
toots  a  minute  national  hymn  of  irresistible 
drollery.  The  sound  of  their  wee  hammers 
and  the  rest  of  the  ludicrous  adventures  are 
carried  off  in  unfailing  good  humor.  The 
scene  finally  changes  to  the  rescuing  ship. 
Here  a  most  hilarious  hornpipe  is  interrupted 
by  the  distant  call  of  Gulliver's  aria,  and  the 
rescue  is  consummated  delightfully. 

In  nothing  has  Kelley  showed  such  wanton 
scholarship  and  such  free-reined  fancy  as  in 
his  Chinese  suite  for  orchestra,  "  Aladdin."  It 
is  certainly  one  of  the  most  brilliant  musical 
feats  of  the  generation,  and  rivals  Richard 
Strauss  in  orchestral  virtuosity. 

While  in  San  Francisco,  where,  as  every 
one  knows,  there  is  a  transplanted  corner  of 
China,  Kelley  sat  at  the  feet  of  certain  Celes- 


66      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

tial  cacophonists,  and  made  himself  adept. 
He  fathomed  the,  to  us,  obscure  laws  of 
their  theory,  and  for  this  work  made  a  care- 
ful selection  of  Chinese  musical  ideas,  and 
used  what  little  harmony  they  approve  of 
with  most  quaint  and  suggestive  effect  upon 
a  splendid  background  of  his  own.  The  re- 
sult has  not  been,  as  is  usual  in  such  alien 
mimicries,  a  mere  success  of  curiosity. 

The  work  had  its  first  accolade  of  genius 
in  the  wild  protests  of  the  music  copyists, 
and  in  the  downright  mutiny  of  orchestral 
performers. 

On  the  first  page  of  the  score  is  this  note : 
"  This  should  be  played  with  a  bow  unscrewed, 
so  that  the  hairs  hang  loose  —  thus  the  bow 
never  leaves  the  string."  This  direction  is 
evidently  meant  to  secure  the  effect  of  the 
Chinese  violin,  in  which  the  string  passes 
between  the  hair  and  the  wood  of  the  bow, 
and  is  played  upon  the  under  side.  But 
what    self-respecting    violinist    could    endure 


The  Innovators.  6^ 

such  profanation  without  striking  a  blow  for 
his  fanes  ? 

The  first  movement  of  the  suite  is  made 
up  of  themes  actually  learned  from  Chinese 
musicians.  It  represents  the  "  Wedding  of 
Aladdin  and  the  Princess,"  a  sort  of  sub- 
limated "  shivaree "  in  which  oboes  quawk, 
muted  trumpets  bray,  pizzicato  strings  flut- 
ter, and  mandolins  (loved  of  Berlioz)  twitter 
hilariously. 

The  second  movement,  "  A  Serenade  in 
the  Royal  Pear  Garden,"  begins  with  a  lux- 
urious tone-poem  of  moonlight  and  shadow, 
out  of  which,  after  a  preliminary  tuning  of 
the  Chinese  lute  (or  sam-yin),  wails  a  lyric 
caterwaul  (alternately  in  2-4  and  3-4  tempo) 
which  the  Chinese  translate  as  a  love-song. 
Its  amorous  grotesque  at  length  subsides  into 
the  majestic  night.  A  part  of  this  altogether 
fascinating  movement  came  to  Kelley  in  a 
dream. 

The  third  chapter  is  devoted  to  the  "  Flight 


68      Contemporary  American  Composers, 

of  the  Genie  with  the  Palace,"  and  there  is  a 
wonderfully  vivid  suggestion  of  his  struggle 
to  wrest  loose  the  foundations  of  the  building. 
At  length  he  heaves  it  slowly  in  the  air,  and 
wings  majestically  away  with  it. 

It  has  always  seemed  to  me  that  the  purest 
stroke  of  genius  in  instrumentation  ever 
evinced  was  Wagner's  conceit  of  using  tin- 
kling bells  to  suggest  leaping  flames.  And 
yet  quite  comparable  with  this  seems  Kelley's 
device  to  indicate  the  oarage  of  the  genie's 
mighty  wings  as  he  disappears  into  the 
sky :  liquid  glissandos  on  the  upper  harp- 
strings,  with  chromatic  runs  upon  the  elabo- 
rately divided  violins,  at  length  changed  to 
sustained  and  most  ethereally  fluty  harmonics. 
It  is  very  ravishment. 

The  last  movement,  "The  Return  and 
Feast  of  the  Lanterns,"  is  on  the  sonata 
formula.  After  an  introduction  typifying  the 
opening  of  the  temple  gates  (a  gong  giving 
the  music  further  locale),  the  first  theme  is 


The  Innovators.  69 

announced  by  harp  and  mandolin.  It  is  an 
ancient  Chinese  air  for  the  yong-kim  (a  dul- 
cimer-like instrument).  The  second  subject 
is  adapted  from  the  serenade  theme.  With 
these  two  smuggled  themes  everything  con- 
trapuntal (a  fugue  included)  and  instrumental 
is  done  that  technical  bravado  could  suggest 
or  true  art  license.  The  result  is  a  carnival 
of  technic  that  compels  the  layman  to  wonder 
and  the  scholar  to  homage. 

A  transcription  for  a  piano  duet  has  been 
made  of  this  last  movement. 

In  Chinese-tone  also  is  Kelley's  most  popu- 
lar song,  "The  Lady  Picking  Mulberries," 
which  brought  him  not  only  the  enthusiasm 
of  Americans  but  the  high  commendation  of 
the  Chinese  themselves.  It  is  written  in  the 
limited  Chinese  scale,  with  harmonies  of  our 
school ;  and  is  a  humoresque  of  such  catchi- 
ness  that  it  has  pervaded  even  London  and 
Paris. 

This  song  is  one  of  a  series  of  six  lyrics 


70      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

called  "  The  Phases  of  Love,"  with  this  motive 
from  the  "  Anatomy  of  Melancholy  :  "  "  I  am 
resolved,  therefore,  in  this  tragi-comedy  of 
love,  to  act  several  parts,  some  satirically, 
some  comically,  some  in  a  mixed  tone."  The 
poems  are  all  by  American  poets,  and  the 
group,  opus  6,  is  an  invaluable  addition  to  our 
musical  literature.  The  first  of  the  series, 
"  My  Silent  Song,"  is  a  radiantly  beautiful 
work,  with  a  wondrous  tender  air  to  a  raptur- 
ous accompaniment.  The  second  is  a  setting 
of  Edward  Rowland  Sill's  perfect  little  poem, 
"  Love's  Fillet."  The  song  is  as  full  of  art 
as  it  is  of  feeling  and  influence.  "What  the 
Man  in  the  Moon  Saw  "  is  an  engaging  satire, 
"  Love  and  Sleep "  is  sombre,  and  "  In  a 
Garden"  is  pathetic. 

Besides  two  small  sketches,  a  waltz  and  a 
gavotte,  and  his  own  arrangements,  for  two 
and  for  four  hands,  of  the  Gaelic  March  in 
"  Macbeth,"  Kelley  has  published  only  three 
piano  pieces  :  opus  2,  "  The  Flower  Seekers," 


The  Innovators.  71 

superb  with  grace,  warm  harmony,  and  May 
ecstasies  ;  "  Confluentia,"  whose  threads  of 
liquidity  are  eruditely,  yet  romantically,  inter- 
tangled  to  represent  the  confluence  of  the 
Rhine  and  the  Moselle ;  and  "  The  Headless 
Horseman,"  a  masterpiece  of  burlesque  weird- 
ness,  representing  the  wild  pursuit  of  Ichabod 
Crane  and  the  final  hurling  of  the  awful 
head,  —  a  pumpkin,  some  say.  It  is  relieved 
by  Ichabod's  tender  reminiscences  of  Katrina 
Van  Tassel  at  the  spinning-wheel,  and  is 
dedicated  to  Joseffy,  the  pianist,  who  lives  in 
the  region  about  Sleepy  Hollow. 

To  supplement  his  successful,  humorously 
melodramatic  setting  of  "The  Little  Old 
Woman  who  Went  to  the  Market  her  Eggs 
for  to  Sell,"  Kelley  is  preparing  a  series 
of  similar  pieces  called  "Tales  Retold  for 
Musical  Children,"  It  will  include  "Gulli- 
ver," "Aladdin,"  and  "Beauty  and  the 
Beast." 

Kelley  once  wrote  music  for  an   adapta- 


J 2      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

tion  of  "Prometheus  Bound,"  made  by  the 
late  George  Parsons  Lathrop  for  that  ill- 
starred  experiment,  the  Theatre  of  Arts  and 
Letters.  The  same  thoroughness  of  research 
that  gave  Kelley  such  a  command  of  Chinese 
theories  equipped  him  in  what  knowledge  we 
have  of  Greek  and  the  other  ancient  music. 
He  has  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  on 
these  subjects,  and  this  learning  was  put  to 
good  and  public  use  in  his  share  in  the  stag- 
ing of  the  novel  "Ben  Hur."  His  music 
had  a  vital  part  in  carrying  the  play  over  the 
thin  ice  of  sacrilege ;  it  was  so  reverent  and 
so  appealing  that  the  scrubwomen  in  the 
theatre  were  actually  moved  to  tears  during 
its  rehearsal,  and  it  gave  the  scene  of  the 
miraculous  cure  of  the  lepers  a  dignity  that 
saved  it  from  either  ridicule  or  reproach. 

In  the  first  act  there  is  a  suggestion  of  the 
slow,  soft  march  of  a  caravan  across  the  sand, 
the  eleven-toned  Greek  and  Egyptian  scale 
being  used.     In  the  tent  of  the  Sheik,  an  old 


The  Innovators.  73 

Arabian  scale  is  employed.  In  the  elaborate 
ballets  and  revels  in  the  "  Grove  of  Daphne  " 
the  use  of  Greek  scales,  Greek  progressions 
(such  as  descending  parallel  fourths  long  for- 
bidden by  the  doctors  of  our  era),  a  trimetri- 
cal  grouping  of  measures  (instead  of  our 
customary  fourfold  basis),  and  a  suggestion 
of  Hellenic  instruments,  —  all  this  lore  has 
not  robbed  the  scene  in  any  sense  of  an  irre- 
sistible brilliance  and  spontaneity.  The  weav- 
ing of  Arachne's  web  is  pictured  with  espe- 
cial power.  Greek  traditions  have,  of  course, 
been  used  only  for  occasional  impressionisms, 
and  not  as  manacles.  Elaborately  colored 
modern  instrumentation  and  all  the  estab- 
lished devices  from  canon  up  are  employed. 
A  piano  transcription  of  part  of  the  music  is 
promised.  The  "  Song  of  Iras  "  has  been 
published.  It  is  full  of  home-sickness,  and 
the  accompaniment  (not  used  in  the  produc- 
tion) is  a  wonderwork  of  color, 

Kelley   has    two    unpublished    songs   that 


74      Contemporary  American  Composers. 


By  permiseion. 

FRAGMENT  OF  "  ISRAFEL,"  BY  EDGAR  S.  KELLEY. 


The  Innovators. 


75 


A 

\.\i  ■(  j^j  1 

i,rTp<  -nT]  j 

d.j,Nj~n(Hm^ 

V 

. 

^^ 

l^"  ^^  ^  ^ 

Li^u  i  j^  1 

^6      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

show  him  at  his  best,  both  settings  of  verse 
by  Poe,  —  "  Eldorado,"  which  vividly  develops 
the  persistence  of  the  knight,  and  "Israfel." 
This  latter  poem,  as  you  know,  concerns  the 
angel  "whose  heart-strings  are  a  lute."  After 
a  rhapsody  upon  the  cosmic  spell  of  the  angel's 
singing,  Poe,  with  a  brave  defiance,  flings  an 
implied  challenge  to  him.  The  verse  marks 
one  of  the  highest  reaches  of  a  genius  hon- 
ored abroad  as  a  world-great  lyrist.  It  is, 
perhaps,  praise  enough,  then,  to  say  that  Kel- 
ley's  music  flags  in  no  wise  behind  the  divine 
progress  of  the  words.  The  lute  idea  dictates 
an  arpeggiated  accompaniment,  whose  har- 
monic beauty  and  courage  is  beyond  descrip- 
tion and  beyond  the  grasp  of  the  mind  at  the 
first  hearing.  The  bravery  of  the  climax  fol- 
lows the  weird  and  opiate  harmonies  of  the 
middle  part  with  tremendous  effect.  The 
song  is,  in  my  fervent  belief,  a  masterwork 
of  absolute  genius,  one  of  the  very  greatest 
lyrics  in  the  world's  music. 


HARVEY    WORTHINGTON    LOOMIS. 


The  Innovators. 


77 


Harvey    Worthington  Loomis. 

To*T,     CrJ.r 


In  the  band  of  pupils  that  gathered  to 
the  standard  of  the  invader,  Antonin  Dvorak, 
when,  in  1892,  he  came  over  here  from  Mace- 
donia to  help  us,  some  of  the  future's  best 
composers  will  probably  be  found. 

Of  this  band  was  Harvey  Worthington 
Loomis,  who  won  a  three  years'  scholarship 
in  Doctor  Dv6rak's  composition  class  at  the 
National  Conservatory,  by  submitting  an  ex- 
cellent, but  rather  uncharacteristic,  setting  of 
Eichendorff's  "  Friihlingsnacht."  Loomis  evi- 
dently won  Doctor  Dv6rak's  confidence,  for 
among  the  tasks  imposed  on  him  was  a  piano 
concerto  to  be  built  on  the  lines  of  so  elab- 
orate a  model  as  Rubinstein's  in    D   minor. 


78      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

When  Loomis'  first  sketches  showed  an  elab- 
oration even  beyond  the  complex  pattern, 
Dvorak  still  advised  him  to  go  on.  To  any 
one  that  knows  the  ways  of  harmony  teach- 
ers this  will  mean  much. 

Loomis  (who  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1865,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  New 
York)  pursued  studies  in  harmony  and  piano 
in  a  desultory  way  until  he  entered  Doctor 
Dvorak's  class.  For  his  musical  tastes  he 
was  indebted  to  the  artistic  atmosphere  of 
his  home. 

Though  Loomis  has  written  something 
over  five  hundred  compositions,  only  a  few 
works  have  been  published,  the  most  impor 
tant  of  which  are  "  Fairy  Hill,"  a  cantatilla 
for  children,  pubhshed  in  1896  (it  was  writ- 
ten on  a  commission  that  fortunately  allowed 
him  liberty  for  not  a  little  elaboration  and 
individuality),  "  Sandalphon,"  and  a  few 
songs  and  piano  pieces. 

A  field  of  his  art  that  has  won  his  especial 


The  Innovators.  ^g 

interest  is  the  use  of  music  as  an  atmosphere 
for  dramatic  expression.  Of  this  sort  are  a 
number  of  pantomimes,  produced  with  much 
applause  in  New  York  by  the  Academy  of 
Dramatic  Arts  ;  and  several  musical  back- 
grounds. The  27th  of  April,  1896,  a  con- 
cert of  his  works  was  given  by  a  number  of 
well-known  artists. 

These  musical  backgrounds  are  played  in 
accompaniment  to  dramatic  recitations.  Prop- 
erly managed,  the  effect  is  most  impressive. 
Feval's  poem,  "The  Song  of  the  Pear-tree," 
is  a  typically  handled  work.  The  poem  tells 
the  story  of  a  young  French  fellow,  an  or- 
phan, who  goes  to  the  wars  as  substitute  for 
his  friend  Jean.  After  rising  from  rank  to 
rank  by  bravery,  he  returns  to  his  home  just 
as  his  sweetheart,  Perrine,  enters  the  church 
to  wed  Jean.  The  girl  had  been  his  one 
ambition,  and  now  in  his  despair  he  reenlists 
and  begs  to  be  placed  in  the  thickest  of  dan- 
ger.    When  he  falls,  they  find  on  his  breast 


8o      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

a  withered  spray  from  the  pear-tree  under 
which  Perrine  had  first  plighted  troth.  On 
these  simple  lines  the  music  builds  up  a 
drama.  From  the  opening  shimmer  and 
rustle  of  the  garden,  through  the  Gregorian 
chant  that  solemnizes  the  drawing  of  the 
lots,  and  is  interrupted  by  the  youth's  start 
of  joy  at  his  own  luck  (an  abrupt  glissa?ido) ; 
through  his  sturdy  resolve  to  go  to  war  in 
his  friend's  place,  on  through  many  battles 
to  his  death,  all  is  on  a  high  plane  that 
commands  sympathy  for  the  emotion,  and 
enforces  unbounded  admiration  for  the  art. 
There  is  a  brief  hint  of  the  Marseillaise 
woven  into  the  finely  varied  tapestry  of  mar- 
tial music,  and  when  the  lover  comes  trudging 
home,  his  joy,  his  sudden  knowledge  of  Per- 
rine's  faithlessness,  and  his  overwhelming 
grief  are  all  built  over  a  long  organ-point 
of  three  clangorous  bride-bells.  The  leit- 
motif idea  is  used  with  suggestive  clearness 
throughout  the  work. 


The  Innovators,  8i 

The  background  to  Longfellow's  "  San- 
dalphon  "  is  so  fine  an  arras  that  it  gives  the 
poet  a  splendor  not  usual  to  his  bourgeois 
lays.  The  music  runs  through  so  many 
phases  of  emotion,  and  approves  itself  so 
original  and  exaltedly  vivid  in  each  that  I 
put  it  well  to  the  fore  of  American  compo- 
sitions. 

Hardly  less  large  is  the  —  Loomis  calls  it 
"  Musical  Symbolism,"  for  Adelaide  Ann 
Proctor's  "The  Story  of  the  Faithful  Soul." 
Of  the  greatest  delicacy  imaginable  is  the 
music  (for  piano,  violin,  and  voice)  to  Will- 
iam Sharp's  "Coming  of  the  Prince."  The 
"  Watteau  Pictures  "  are  poems  of  Verlaine's 
variously  treated  :  one  as  a  head-piece  to  a 
wayward  piano  caprice,  one  to  be  recited  dur- 
ing a  picturesque  waltz,  the  last  a  song  with 
mandoHn  effects  in  the  accompaniment. 

The  pantomimes  range  from  grave  to  gay, 
most  of  the  librettos  in  this  difficult  form 
being  from  the  clever  hand  of  Edwin  Stan 


82      Contemporary  American  Composers. 


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A   FRAGMENT  OF   "  SANDALPHON,"    BY  H.  W.  LOOMIS. 


The  Innovators. 


83 


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84      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Belknap.  "The  Traitor  Mandolin,"  "In  Old 
New  Amsterdam,"  "Put  to  the  Test," 
"Blanc  et  Noir,"  "The  Enchanted  Foun- 
tain," "  Her  Revenge,"  "  Love  and  Witch- 
craft "  are  their  names.  The  music  is  full 
of  wit,  a  quality  Loomis  possesses  in  un- 
usual degree.  The  music  mimics  every- 
thing from  the  busy  feather-duster  of  the 
maid  to  her  eavesdropping.  Pouring  wine, 
clinking  glasses,  moving  a  chair,  tearing  up 
a  letter,  and  a  rollicking  wine-song  in  pan- 
tomime are  all  hinted  with  the  drollest  and 
most  graphic  programmism  imaginable. 

Loomis  has  also  written  two  burlesque 
operas,  "The  Maid  of  Athens"  and  "The 
Burglar's  Bride,"  the  libretto  of  the  latter  by 
his  brother,  Charles  Battell  Loomis,  the  well- 
known  humorist.  This  latter  contains  some 
skilful  parody  on  old  fogyism. 

In  the  Violin  Sonata  the  piano,  while 
granting  precedence  to  the  violin,  approaches 
almost  to  the  dignity  of  a  duet.     The  finale 


The  Innovators.  85 

is  captivating  and  brilliant,  and  develops  some 
big  climaxes.  The  work  as  a  whole  is  really 
superb,  and  ought  to  be  much  played.  There 
are,  besides,  a  "  Lyric  Finale "  to  a  sonata 
not  yet  written,  and  several  songs  for  violin, 
voice,  and  piano. 

A  suite  for  four  hands,  <'  In  Summer 
Fields,"  contains  some  happy  manifestations 
of  ability,  such  as  "A  June  Roundelay," 
"  The  Dryad's  Grove,"  and,  especially,  a  hu- 
moresque  "Junketing,"  which  is  surely  des- 
tined to  become  a  classic.  From  some  of 
his  pantomimes  Loomis  has  made  excerpts, 
and  remade  them  with  new  elaboration  for 
two  pianos,  under  the  name  of  "Exotics." 
These  are  full  of  variety  and  of  actual  nov- 
elty, now  of  startling  discord,  now  of  revela- 
tory beauty.  A  so-called  "Norland  Epic," 
freely  constructed  on  the  sonata  formula,  is 
one  of  Loomis'  most  brilliant  and  personal 
achievements. 

Loomis  has  an  especial  aptitude  for  writing 


86      Conte^nporary  American  Composers. 

artistic  ballet -music,  and  for  composing  in  the 
tone  of  different  nationalities,  particularly 
the  Spanish.  His  pantomimes  contain  many 
irresistible  dances,  one  of  them  including  a 
Chinese  dance  alternating  4-4  with  3-4  time. 
His  strikingly  fleet  "  Harlequin "  has  been 
published. 

The  gift  of  adding  art  to  catchiness  is  a 
great  one.  This  Loomis  seems  to  have  to  an 
unusual  degree,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  dances 
in  his  pantomimes  and  his  series  of  six  pieces 
"In  Ballet  Costume,"  all  of  them  rich  with 
the  finest  art  along  with  a  Strauss-like  spon- 
taneity. These  include  "  L'Amazone,"  "  Pirou- 
ette," "Un  Pas  Seul,"  "  La  Coryphee,"  "The 
Odalisque,"  and  "  The  Magyar."  One  of  his 
largest  works  is  a  concert  waltz,  "  Mi-Careme," 
for  two  pianos,  with  elaborate  and  extended 
introduction  and  coda. 

A  series  of  Genre  Pictures  contains  such 
lusciousness  of  felicity  as  "At  an  Italian 
Festival,"  and  there  are  a  number  of  musical 


The  Innovators.  8y 

moments  of  engaging  charm,  for  instance, 
"N'Importe  Quoi,"  "From  a  Conservatory 
Program,"  "A  Tropical  Night,"  a  fascinat- 
ing "Valsette,"  a  nameless  valse,  and 
"Another  Scandal,"  which  will  prove  a  gilt- 
'  edged  speculation  for  some  tardy  publisher. 
It  is  brimming  with  the  delicious  horror 
of  excited  gossipry.  An  example  of  how 
thoroughly  Loomis  is  invested  with  music  — 
how  he  thinks  in  it  —  is  his  audacious  scherzo, 
"  The  Town  Crier,"  printed  herewith. 

In  songs  Loomis  has  been  most  prolific. 
He  has  set  twenty-two  of  Shakespeare's  lyrics 
to  music  of  the  old  English  school,  such  as 
his  uproarious  "  Let  me  the  cannikin  clink," 
and  his  dainty  "  Tell  me  where  is  fancy 
bred." 

"  The  Lark "  is  written  in  the  pentatonic 
scale,  with  accompaniment  for  two  flutes  and 
a  harp. 

In  the  same  vein  are  various  songs  of 
Herrick,   a   lyrist  whose  verse   is    not    usu- 


88      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

ally  congenial  to  the  modem  music-maket 
Loomis'  "  Epitaph  on  a  Virgin "  must  be 
classed  as  a  success.  Indeed,  it  reaches  posi- 
tive grandeur  at  its  climax,  wherein  is  woven 
the  grim  persistence  of  a  tolling  bell.  In 
the  same  style  is  a  clever  setting  of  Ben 
Jonson's  much  music'd  "  To  Celia." 

In  German-tone  are  his  veritably  magnifi- 
cent "  Herbstnacht"  and  his  "At  Midnight," 
two  studies  after  Franz.  Heine's  "Des 
Waldes  Kapellmeister"  has  been  made  into 
a  most  hilarious  humoresque, 

"  Bergerie "  is  a  dozen  of  Norman  Gale's 
lyrics.     •'  Andalusia  "  is  a  flamboyant  duet. 

In  Scotch  songs  there  is  a  positive  em- 
barrassment of  riches,  Loomis'  fancies  finding 
especial  food  and  freedom  in  this  school.  I 
find  in  these  settings  far  more  art  and  grace 
than  I  see  even  in  Schumann's  many  Scotch 
songs,  or  those  of  any  other  of  the  Germans. 
"Oh,  for  Ane  and  Twenty"  has  bagpipe 
effects.      Such    flights    of   ecstasy   as    "  My 


The  Innovators.  89 

Wife's  a  Winsome  Wee  Thing,"  and  "  Bonnie 
Wee  Thing,"  are  simply  tyrannical  in  their 
appeal.  Then  there  is  an  irresistible  "  Polly 
Stewart ;  "  and  "  My  Peggy's  Heart  "  is  fairly 
ambrosial.  These  and  several  others,  like 
"  There  Was  a  Bonnie  Lass,"  could  be  made 
into  an  album  of  songs  that  would  delight  a 
whole  suite  of  generations. 

A  number  of  his  songs  are  published : 
they  include  a  "  John  Anderson,  My  Jo,"  that 
has  no  particular  right  to  live ;  a  ballad, 
"  Molly,"  with  a  touch  of  art  tucked  into  it ; 
the  beautiful  "  Sylvan  Slumbers,"  and  the 
quaint  and  fascinating ."  Dutch  Garden." 

Aside  from  an  occasional  song  like  "  This- 
tledown," with  its  brilliantly  fleecy  accom- 
paniment, and  the  setting  of  Browning's 
famous  "  The  Year'  at  the  Spring,"  for  which 
Loomis  has  struck  out  a  superb  frenzy,  and 
a  group  of  songs  by  John  Vance  Cheney, 
Loomis  has  found  some  of  his  most  powerful 
inspirations  in  the  work  of  our  lyrist,  Aldrich, 


90      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

—  such  as  the  rich  carillon  of  "  Wedded," 
and  his  "  Discipline,"  one  of  the  best  of 
all  humorous  songs,  a  gruesome  scherzo  all 
about  dead  monks,  in  which  the  music 
furnishes  out  the  grim  irreverence  of  the 
words  with  the  utmost  waggery. 

Chief  among  the  lyrics  by  Cheney  are 
three  "  Spring  Songs,"  in  which  Loomis  has 
caught  the  zest  of  spring  with  such  rapture 
that,  once  they  are  heard,  the  world  seems 
poor  without  them  in  print.  Loomis'  literary 
culture  is  shown  in  the  sure  taste  of  his 
selection  of  lyrics  for  his  music.  He  has 
marked  aptitudes,  too,  in  creative  literature, 
and  has  an  excellent  idea  of  the  arts  kindred 
to  his  own,  particularly  architecture. 

Like  Chopin,  Loomis  is  largely  occupied  in 
mixing  rich  new  colors  on  the  inexhaustible 
palette  of  the  piano.  Like  Chopin,  he  is  not 
especially  called  to  the  orchestra.  What  the 
future  may  hold  for  him  in  this  field  (by  no 
means  so  indispensable  to  classic  repute  as 


The  Innovators.  91 

certain  pedants  assume)  it  is  impossible  to 
say.  In  the  meantime  he  is  giving  most  of 
his  time  to  work  in  larger  forms. 

If  in  his  restless  hunt  for  novelty,  always 
novelty,  he  grows  too  original,  too  unconven- 
tional, this  sin  is  unusual  enough  to  approach 
the  estate  of  a  virtue.  But  his  oddity  is  not 
mere  sensation-mongering.  It  is  his  indi- 
viduality. He  could  make  the  same  reply 
to  such  criticism  that  Schumann  made ;  he 
thinks  in  strange  rhythms  and  hunts  curious 
effects,  because  his  tastes  are  irrevocably  so 
ordained. 

But  we  ought  to  show  a  new  genius  the 
same  generosity  toward  flaws  that  we  extend 
toward  the  masters  whose  fame  is  won  beyond 
the  patronage  of  our  petty  forgiveness.  And, 
all  in  all,  I  am  impelled  to  prophesy  to  Loomis 
a  place  very  high  among  the  inspired  makers 
of  new  music.  His  harmonies,  so  indefatiga- 
bly  searched  out  and  polished  to  splendor, 
so  potent  in  enlarging  the  color-scale  of  the 


92      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

piano ;  his  patient  building  up,  through  long 
neglect  and  through  long  silence,  of  a  monu- 
mental group  of  works  and  of  a  distinct 
individuality,  must  prove  at  some  late  day 
a  source  of  lasting  pride  to  his  country, 
neglectful  now  in  spite  of  itself.  But  better 
than  his  patience,  than  his  courage,  than  his 
sincerity,  better  than  that  insufficient  defini- 
tion of  genius,  —  the  capacity  for  taking 
infinite  pains,  —  is  his  inspired  felicity.  His 
genius  is  the  very  essence  of  felicity. 


Ethelbert  Nevin. 

It  is  refreshing  to  be  able  to  chronicle  the 
achievements  of  a  composer  who  has  become 
financially  successful  without  destroying  his 
claim  on  the  respect  of  the  learned  and 
severe,  or  sacrificing  his  own  artistic  con- 
science and  individuality.  Such  a  composer 
is  Ethelbert  Nevin. 

His  published  writings  have  been  altogether 


The  Innovators. 


93 


along  the  smaller  lines  of  composition,  and  he 
has  won  an  enviable  place  as  a  fervent  worker 
in  diamonds.  None  of  his  gems  are  paste, 
and  a  few  have  a  perfection,  a  solidity,  and  a 
fire  that  fit  them  for  a  place  in  that  coronet 
one  might  fancy  made  up  of  the  richest  of 


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the  jewels  of  the  world's  music-makers,  and 
fashioned  for  the  very  brows  of  the  Muse 
herself. 

Nevin  was  born  in  1862,  at  Vineacre.  on 
the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  a  few  miles  from  Pitts- 
burgh. There  he  spent  the  first  sixteen  years 
of  his   life,  and   received  all   his    schooling. 


94      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

most  of  it  from  his  father,  Robert  P.  Nevin, 
editor  ajad  proprietor  of  a  Pittsburgh  news- 
paper, and  a  contributor  to  many  magazines. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  he  also  com- 
posed several  campaign  songs,  among  them 
the  popular  "  Our  Nominee,"  used  in  the  day 
of  James  K.  Polk's  candidacy.  The  first 
grand  piano  ever  taken  across  the  Allegheny 
Mountains  was  carted  over  for  Nevin's 
mother. 

From  his  earliest  infancy  Nevin  was  musi- 
cally inclined,  and,  at  the  age  of  four,  was 
often  taken  from  his  cradle  to  play  for 
admiring  visitors.  To  make  up  for  the  defi- 
ciency of  his  little  legs,  he  used  to  pile 
cushions  on  the  pedals  so  that  he  might 
manipulate  them  from  afar. 

Nevin's  father  provided  for  his  son  both 
vocal  and  instrumental  instruction,  even  tak- 
ing him  abroad  for  two  years  of  travel  and 
music  study  in  Dresden  under  Von  Bohme. 
Later  he  studied  the  piano  for  two  years  at 


The  Innovators.  95 

Boston,  under  B.  J.  Lang,  and  composition 
under  Stephen  A.  Emery,  whose  Uttfe  primer 
on  harmony  has  been  to  American  music  al- 
most what  Webster's  spelHng-book  was  to  our 
letters. 

At  the  end  of  two  years  he  went  to  Pitts- 
burgh, where  he  gave  lessons,  and  saved 
money  enough  to  take  him  to  Berlin.  There 
he  spent  the  years  1884,  1885,  and  1886, 
placing  himself  in  the  hands  of  Karl  Klind- 
worth.  Of  him  Nevin  says  :  "  To  Herr 
Klindworth  I  owe  everything  that  has  come 
to  me  in  my  musical  life.  He  was  a  devoted 
teacher,  and  his  patience  was  tireless.  His 
endeavor  was  not  only  to  develop  the  stu- 
dent from  a  musical  standpoint,  but  to  en- 
large his  soul  in  every  way.  To  do  this,  he 
tried  to  teach  one  to  appreciate  and  to  feel 
the  influence  of  such  great  minds  of  Hterature 
as  Goethe,  Schiller,  and  Shakespeare.  He 
used  to  insist  that  a  man  does  not  become  a 
musician  by  practising  so  many  hours  a  day  at 


96      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

the  piano,  but  by  absorbing  an  influence  from 
all  the  arts  and  all  the  interests  of  life,  from 
architecture,  painting,  and  even  politics." 

The  effect  of  such  broad  training  —  en- 
joyed rarely  enough  by  music  students  —  is 
very  evident  in  Nevin's  compositions.  They 
are  never  narrow  or  provincial.  They  are 
the  outpourings  of  a  soul  that  is  not  only 
intense  in  its  activities,  but  is  refined  and 
cultivated  in  its  expressions.  This  effect  is 
seen,  too,  in  the  poems  Nevin  chooses  to  set 
to  music,  —  they  are  almost  without  exception 
verses  of  literary  finish  and  value.  His  cos- 
mopolitanism is  also  remarkable,  his  songs  in 
French,  German,  and  Italian  having  no  trace 
of  Yankee  accent  and  a  great  fidelity  to  their 
several  races. 

In  1885,  Hans  von  Biilow  incorporated  the 
best  four  pupils  of  his  friend,  Klindworth, 
into  an  artist  class,  which  he  drilled  person- 
ally. Nevin  was  one  of  the  honored  four, 
and  appeared  at  the  unique  public  Zuh'cren  of 


The  Innovators.  97 

that  year,  devoted  exclusively  to  the  works 
of  Brahms,  Liszt,  and  Raff.  Among  the 
forty  or  fifty  studious  listeners  at  these 
recitals,  Frau  Cosima  Wagner,  the  violinist 
Joachim,  and  many  other  celebrities  were 
frequently  present. 

Nevin  returned  to  America  in  1887,  and 
took  up  his  residence  in  Boston,  where  he 
taught  and  played  at  occasional  concerts. 

Eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-two  found 
him  in  Paris,  where  he  taught,  winning  more 
pupils  than  here.  He  was  especially  happy 
in  imparting  to  singers  the  proper  Aiiffassung 
(grasp,  interpretation,  finish)  of  songs,  and 
coached  many  American  and  French  artists 
for  the  operatic  stage.  In  1893  the  restless 
troubadour  moved  on  to  Berlin,  where  he 
devoted  himself  so  ardently  to  composition 
that  his  health  collapsed,  and  he  was  exiled 
a  year  to  Algiers.  The  early  months  of 
1895  he  spent  in  concert  tours  through  this 
country.     As  Klindworth  said  of  him,  "he 


98      Contemporary  American  Composers. 

has  a  touch  that  brings  tears,"  and  it  is  in 
interpretation  rather  than  in  bravura  that  he 
excels.  He  plays  with  that  unusual  combina- 
tion of  elegance  and  fervor  that  so  individ- 
ualizes his  composition. 

Desirous  of  finding  solitude  and  atmosphere 
for  composition,  he  took  up  his  residence  in 
Florence,  where  he  composed  his  suite,  "  May 
in  Tuscany"  (op.  21).  The  "Arlecchino" 
of  this  work  has  much  sprightliness,  and 
shows  the  influence  of  Schumann,  who  made 
the  harlequin  particularly  his  own  ;  but  there 
is  none  of  Chopin's  nocturnity  in  the  "  Not- 
turno,"  which  presents  the  sussurus  and  the 
moonlit,  amorous  company  of  "Boccacio's 
Villa."  The  suite  includes  a  "  Misericordia  " 
depicting  a  midnight  cortege  along  the  Arno, 
and  modelled  on  Chopin's  funeral  march  in 
structure  with  its  hoarse  dirge  and  its  rich 
cantilena.  The  best  number  of  the  suite  is 
surely  the  "  Rusignuolo,"  an  exceedingly 
fluty  bird-song. 


TJte  Innovators.  99 

From  Florence,  Nevin  went  to  Venice, 
where  he  lived  in  an  old  casa  on  the  Grand 
Canal,  opposite  the  Browning  palazzo,  and 
near  the  house  where  Wagner  wrote  **  Tristan 
und  Isolde."  One  day  his  man,  Guido,  took  a 
day  off,  and  brought  to  Venice  an  Italian 
sweetheart,  who  had  lived  a  few  miles  from 
the  old  dream-city  and  had  never  visited 
it.  The  day  these  two  spent  gondoliering 
through  the  waterways,  where  romance  hides 
in  every  nook,  is  imaginatively  narrated  in 
tone  in  Nevin's  suite,  "  Un  Giorno  in  Venezia," 
a  book  more  handsomely  published  even  than 
the  others  of  his  works,  which  have  been 
among  the  earliest  to  throw  off  the  disgrace- 
ful weeds  of  type  and  design  formerly  worn 
by  native  compositions. 

The  Venetian  suite  gains  a  distinctly  Italian 
color  from  its  ingenuously  sweet  harmonies 
in  thirds  and  sixths,  and  its  frankly  lyric 
nature,  and  "  The  Day  in  Venice "  begins 
logically    with    the    dawn,  which  is    ushered 


loo    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

in  with  pink  and  stealthy  harmonies,  then 
"The  Gondoliers"  have  a  morning  mood  of 
gaiety  that  makes  a  charming  composition. 
There  is  a  "  Canzone  Amorosa  "  of  deep  fer- 
vor, with  interjections  of  "  lo  t'amo !  "  and 
"  Amore  "  (which  has  the  excellent  authority 
of  Beethoven's  Sonata,  op.  8i,  with  its  "  Lebe 
wohl ").  The  suite  ends  deliciously  with  a 
night  scene  in  Venice,  beginning  with  a  choral 
"Ave  Maria,"  and  ending  with  a  campanella 
of  the  utmost  deUcacy. 

After  a  year  in  Venice  Nevin  made  Paris 
his  home  for  a  year,  returning  to  America 
then,  where  he  has  since  remained. 

Though  he  has  dabbled  somewhat  in  or- 
chestration, he  has  been  wisely  devoting  his 
genius,  with  an  almost  Chopin-like  singleness 
of  mind,  to  songs  and  piano  pieces.  His 
piano  works  are  what  would  be  called  mor- 
ceaux.  He  has  never  written  a  sonata,  or 
anything  approaching  the  classical  forms, 
nearer  than  a  gavotte  or  two.     He  is  very 


The  Innovators.  loi 

modern  in  his  harmonies,  the  favorite 
colors  on  his  palette  being  the  warmer  keys, 
which  are  constantly  blended  enharmonically. 
He  "  swims  in  a  sea  of  tone,"  being  particu- 
larly fond  of  those  suspensions  and  inversions 
in  which  the  intervals  of  the  second  clash 
passionately,  strongly  compelling  resolution. 
For  all  his  gracefulness  and  lyricism,  he 
makes  a  sturdy  and  constant  use  of  disso- 
nance ;  in  his  song  "  Herbstgefiihl "  the 
dissonance  is  fearlessly  defiant  of  con- 
ventions. 

Nevin's  songs,  whose  only  littleness  is  in 
their  length,  though  treated  with  notable 
individuality,  are  founded  in  principle  on  the 
Lieder  of  Schumann  and  Franz.  That  is  to 
say,  they  are  written  with  a  high  poetical 
feeling  inspired  by  the  verses  they  sing,  and, 
while  melodious  enough  to  justify  them  as 
lyrics,  yet  are  near  enough  to  impassioned 
recitative  to  do  justice  to  the  words  on  which 
they  are  built.       Nevin   is   also   an   enthusi- 


[02    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


Copyright,  1889,  by  G.  Schirmer,  Jr. 

A    FRAGMENT    FROM    "  HERBSTGEFUHL." 


The  Innovators.  103 

astic  devotee  of  the  position  these  masters, 
after  Schubert,  took  on  the  question  of  the 
accompaniment.  This  is  no  longer  a  slavish 
thumping  of  a  few  chords,  now  and  then,  to 
keep  the  voice  on  the  key,  with  outbursts 
of  real  expression  only  at  the  interludes  ;  but 
it  is  a  free  instrumental  composition  with  a 
meaning  of  its  own  and  an  integral  value, 
truly  accompanying,  not  merely  supporting 
and  serving,  the  voice.  Indeed,  one  of 
Nevin's  best  songs,  —  *'  Lehn  deine  Wang  an 
meine  Wang,"  —  is  actually  little  more  than 
a  vocal  accompaniment  to  a  piano  solo.  His 
accompaniments  are  always  richly  colored 
and  generally  individualized  with  a  strong 
contramelody,  a  descending  chromatic  scale 
in  octaves  making  an  especially  frequent 
appearance.  Design,  though  not  classical, 
is  always  present  and  distinct. 

Nevin's  first  published  work  was  a  modest 
"Serenade,"  with  a  neat  touch  of  syncopa- 
tion, which  he  wrote  at  the  age  of  eighteen. 


104   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

His  "  Sketch-Book,"  a  collection  of  thirteen 
songs  and  piano  pieces  found  an  immediate 
and  remarkable  sale  that  has  removed  the 
ban  formerly  existing  over  books  of  native 
compositions. 

The  contents  of  the  "  Sketch-Book  "  dis- 
play unusual  versatility.  It  opens  with  a 
bright  gavotte,  in  which  adherence  to  the 
classic  spirit  compels  a  certain  reminiscence 
of  tone.  The  second  piece,  a  song,  "  F  the 
Wondrous  Month  o'  May,"  has  such  a  spring- 
tide fire  and  frenzy  in  the  turbulent  accom- 
paniment, and  such  a  fervent  reiterance,  that 
it  becomes,  in  my  opinion,  the  best  of  all  the 
settings  of  this  poem  of  Heine's,  not  exclud- 
ing even  Schumann's  or  that  of  Franz.  The 
"  Love  Song,"  though  a  piano  solo,  is  in 
reality  a  duet  between  two  lovers.  It  is  to 
me  finer  than  Henselt's  perfect  "  Liebeslied," 
possibly  because  the  ravishing  sweetness  of 
the  woman's  voice  answering  the  sombre  plea 
of  the  man  gives  it  a  double   claim   on  the 


The  Innovators.  105 

heart.  The  setting  01  "  Du  bist  wie  eine 
Blume,"  however,  hardly  "loes  justice  either 
to  Heine's  poem,  or  to  Nevin's  art.  The 
"  Serenade "  is  an  original  bit  of  work,  but 
the  song,  "  Oh,  that  We  Two  were  Maying !  " 
with  a  voice  in  the  accompaniment  making  it 
the  duet  it  should  be,  —  that  song  can  have 
no  higher  praise  than  this,  that  it  is  the  com- 
plete, the  final  musical  fulfilment  of  one  of 
the  rarest  lyrics  in  our  language.  A  striking 
contrast  to  the  keen  white  regret  of  this 
song  is  the  setting  of  a  group  of  "  Chil- 
dren's Songs,"  by  Robert  Louis  Stevenson. 
Nevin's  child-songs  have  a  peculiar  and 
charming  place.  He  has  not  been  stingy 
of  either  his  abundant  art  or  his  abundant 
humanity  in  writing  them.  They  include 
four  of  Stevenson's,  the  best  being  the  capti- 
vating "  In  Winter  I  get  up  at  Night,"  and  a 
setting  of  Eugene  Field's  "  Little  Boy  Blue," 
in  which  a  trumpet  figure  is  used  with  deli- 
cate patnos. 


io6   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Nevin's  third  opus  included  three  exquisite 
songs  of  a  pastoral  nature,  Goethe's  rollicking 
*•  One  Spring  Morning  "  having  an  immense 
sale.  Opus  5  contained  five  songs,  of  which 
the  ecstatic  '•  'Twas  April "  reached  the 
largest  popularity.  Possibly  the  smallest 
sale  was  enjoyed  by  "  Herbstgefuhl."  Many 
years  have  not  availed  to  shake  my  allegiance 
to  this  song,  as  one  of  the  noblest  songs  in  the 
world's  music.  It  is  to  me,  in  all  soberness,  as 
great  as  the  greatest  of  the  Lieder  of  Schu- 
bert, Schumann  or  Franz.  In  "  Herbstge- 
fuhl "  (or  "Autumn-mood")  Gerok's  superb 
poem  bewails  the  death  of  the  leaves  and 
the  failing  of  the  year,  and  cries  out  in 
sympathy ; 

"  Such  release  and  dying 
Sweet  would  seem  to  me ! " 

Deeper  passion  and  wilder  despair  could 
not  be  crowded  into  so  short  a  song,  and  the 
whole  brief  tragedy  is  wrought  with  a  gran- 


The  Innovators.  107 

deur  and  climax  positively  epic.  It  is  a  flash 
of  sheer  genius. 

Three  piano  duets  make  up  opus  6;  and 
other  charming  works,  songs,  piano  pieces, 
and  violin  solos,  kept  pouring  from  a  pen 
whose  apparent  ease  concealed  a  vast  deal  of 
studious  labor,  until  the  lucky  13,  the  opus- 
number  of  a  bundle  of  "Water  Scenes," 
brought  Nevin  the  greatest  popularity  of  all, 
thanks  largely  to  "  Narcissus,"  which  has 
been  as  much  thrummed  and  whistled  as  any 
topical  song. 

Of  the  other  "  Water  Scenes,"  there  is 
a  shimmering  "  Dragon  Fly,"  a  monody, 
"  Ophelia,"  with  a  pedal-point  of  two  periods 
on  the  tonic,  and  a  fluent  "  Barcarolle  "  with 
a  deal  of  high-colored  virtuosity. 

His  book  "In  Arcady "  (1892)  contains 
pastoral  scenes,  notably  an  infectious  romp 
that  deserves  its  legend,  "  They  danced  as 
though  they  never  would  grow  old."  The 
next  year  his  opus  20,  "A  Book  of   Songs," 


io8    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

was  published.  It  contains,  among  other 
things  of  merit,  a  lullaby,  called  "  Sleep,  Little 
Tulip,"  with  a  remarkably  artistic  and  effect- 
ive pedal-point  on  two  notes  (the  sub-mediant 
and  the  dominant)  sustained  through  the 
entire  song  with  a  fine  fidelity  to  the  words 
and  the  lullaby  spirit ;  a  "  Nocturne  "  in  which 
Nevin  has  revealed  an  unsuspected  voluptu- 
ousness in  Mr.  Aldrich'  little  lyric,  and  has 
written  a  song  of  irresistible  climaxes.  The 
two  songs,  "  Dites-Moi  "  and  "  In  der  Nacht," 
each  so  completely  true  to  the  idiom  of  the 
language  of  its  poem,  are  typical  of  Nevin's 
cosmopolitanism,  referred  to  before.  This 
same  unusual  ability  is  seen  in  his  piano 
pieces  as  well  as  in  his  songs.  He  knows 
the  difference  between  a  chanson  and  a  Lied, 
and  in  "  Rechte  Zeit  "  has  written  with  truth 
to  German  soldierliness  as  he  has  been  sympa- 
thetic with  French  nuance  in  "  Le  Vase 
Bris6,"  the  effective  song  "  Mon  Desire," 
which  in  profile  suggests  Saint-Saens'  familiar 


The  Innovators.  109 

Delilah-song,  the  striking  "  Chanson  des 
Lavandieres "  and  "  Rapelle-Toi,"  one  of 
Nevin's  most  elaborate  works,  in  which  Alfred 
De  Musset's  verse  is  splendidly  set  with  much 
enharmonious  color.  Very  Italian,  too,  is 
the  "Serenade"  with  accompaniment  a  la 
mandoUn,  which  is  the  most  fetching  number 
in  the  suite  "  Captive  Memories,"  published 
in  1899. 

Nevin  has  also  put  many  an  English  song 
to  music,  notably  the  deeply  sincere  "  At 
Twilight,"  the  strenuous  lilt  "  In  a  Bower," 
Bourdillon's  beautiful  lyric,  "  Before  the  Day- 
break," the  smooth  and  unhackneyed  treat- 
ment of  the  difficult  stanza  of  "'Twas  April," 
that  popular  song,  "  One  Spring  Morning," 
which  has  not  yet  had  all  the  charm  sung  out 
of  it,  and  two  songs  with  obbligati  for  violin 
and  'cello,  "  Deep  in  the  Rose's  Glowing 
Heart "  and  "  Doris,"  a  song  with  a  finely 
studied  accompaniment  and  an  aroma  of 
Theokritos. 


I  lO    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

A  suite  for  the  piano  is  "  En  Passant," 
published  in  1 899 ;  it  ranges  from  a  stately 
old  dance,  "At  Fontainebleau,"  to  "  Napoli," 
a  furious  tarantelle  with  effective  glissandi ; 
"  In  Dreamland  "  is  a  most  delicious  revery 
with  an  odd  repetition  that  is  not  preludatory, 
but  thematic.  The  suite  ends  with  the  most 
poetic  scene  of  all,  "  At  Home,"  which  makes 
a  tone  poem  of  Richard  Hovey's  word-picture 
of  a  June  night  in  Washington.  The  depict- 
ing of  the  Southern  moonlight-balm,  with 
its  interlude  of  a  distant  and  drowsy 
negro  quartette,  reminds  one  pleasantly  of 
Chopin's  Nocturne  (op.  37,  No.  i),  with  its 
intermezzo  of  choric  monks,  though  the 
composition  is  Nevin's  very  own  in  spirit 
and  treatment. 

In  addition  to  the  works  catalogued,  Nevin 
has  written  a  pantomime  for  piano  and 
orchestra  to  the  libretto  of  that  virtuoso 
in  English,  Vance  Thompson  ;  it  was  called 
"  Lady  Floriane's  Dream,"  and  was  given  in 


The  Innovators.  1 1 1 

New  York  in  1898.  Nevin  has  also  a  cantata 
in  making. 

It  needs  no  very  intimate  acquaintance 
with  Nevin's  music  to  see  that  it  is  not  based 
on  an  adoration  for  counterpoint  as  an  end. 
He  believes  that  true  music  must  come  from 
the  emotions  —  the  intelligent  emotions  — 
and  that  when  it  cannot  appeal  to  the  emo- 
tions it  has  lost  its  power.  He  says  :  "  Above 
everything  we  need  melody  —  melody  and 
rhythm.  Rhythm  is  the  great  thing.  We 
have  it  in  Nature.  The  trees  sway,  and  our 
steps  keep  time,  and  our  very  souls  respond." 
In  Wagner's  "  Meistersinger,"  which  he  calls 
"a  symphonic  poem  with  action,"  Nevin  finds 
his  musical  creed  and  his  model. 

And  now,  if  authority  is  needed  for  all  this 
frankly  enthusiastic  admiration,  let  it  be  found 
in  and  echoed  from  Karl  Klindworth,  who 
said  of  Nevin  :  "  His  talent  is  ungeheures  [one 
of  the  strongest  adjectives  in  the  German 
language].     If  he  works  hard  and  is  conscien- 


112    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

tious,  he  can  say  for  the  musical  world  some- 
thing that  no  one  else  can  say." 


John  Philip  Sousa. 


In  common  with  most  of  those  that  pretend 
to  love  serious  music,  a  certain  person  was 
for  long  guilty  of  the  pitiful  snobbery  of 
rating  march-tunes  as  the  lowest  form  of  the 
art.  But  one  day  he  joined  a  National  Guard 
regiment,  and  his  first  long  march  was  that 


JOHN    PHILIP    SOUSA. 


The  Innovators.  113 

heart-breaking  dress-parade  of  about  fifteen 
miles  through  the  wind  and  dust  of  the  day 
Grant's  monument  was  dedicated.  Most  of 
the  music  played  by  the  band  was  merely 
rhythmical  embroidery,  chiefly  in  bugle  fig- 
ures, as  helpful  as  a  Clementi  sonatina ;  but 
now  and  then  there  would  break  forth  a 
magic  elixir  of  tune  that  fairly  plucked  his 
feet  up  for  him,  put  marrow  in  unwilling 
bones,  and  replaced  the  dreary  doggedness  of 
the  heart  with  a  great  zest  for  progress,  a 
stout  martial  fire,  and  a  fierce  esprit  de  corps  ; 
with  patriotism  indeed.  In  almost  every 
case,  that  march  belonged  to  one  John  Philip 
Sousa. 

It  came  upon  this  wretch  then,  that,  if  it 
is  a  worthy  ambition  in  a  composer  to  give 
voice  to  passionate  love-ditties,  or  vague  con- 
templation, or  the  deep  despair  of  a  funeral 
cortege,  it  is  also  a  very  great  thing  to  instil 
courage,  and  furnish  an  inspiration  that  will 
send    men    gladly,    proudly,    and    gloriously 


1 14    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

through  hardships  into  battle  and  death. 
This  last  has  been  the  office  of  the  march- 
tune,  and  it  is  as  susceptible  of  structural 
logic  or  embellishments  as  the  fugue,  rondo, 
or  what  not.  These  architectural  qualities 
Sousa's  marches  have  in  high  degree,  as  any 
one  will  find  that  examines  their  scores  or 
listens  analytically.  They  have  the  further 
merit  of  distinct  individuality,  and  the  su- 
preme merit  of  founding  a  school. 

It  is  only  the  plain  truth  to  say  that 
Sousa's  marches  have  founded  a  school ;  that 
he  has  indeed  revolutionized  march-music. 
His  career  resembles  that  of  Johann  Strauss 
in  many  ways.  A  certain  body  of  old  fogies 
has  always  presumed  to  deride  the  raptur- 
ous waltzes  of  Strauss,  though  they  have  won 
enthusiastic  praise  from  even  the  esoteric 
Brahms,  and  gained  from  Wagner  such  words 
as  these :  "  One  Strauss  waltz  overshadows, 
in  respect  to  animation,  finesse,  and  real  mu- 
sical   worth,    most    of    the  mechanical,   bor- 


The  Innovators.  115 

rowed,  factory-made  products  of  the  present 
time."  The  same  words  might  be  applied  to 
Sousa's  marches  with  equal  justice.  They 
have  served  also  for  dance  music,  and  the 
two-step,  borne  into  vogue  by  Sousa's  music, 
has  driven  the  waltz  almost  into  desuetude. 

There  is  probably  no  composer  in  the 
world  with  a  popularity  equal  to  that  of 
Sousa.  Though  he  sold  his  "  Washington 
Post"  march  outright  for  $1^,  his  "Liberty 
Bell"  march  is  said  to  have  brought  him 
;^ 3 5,000.  It  is  found  that  his  music  has 
been  sold  to  eighteen  thousand  bands  in  the 
United  States  alone.  The  amazing  thing  is 
to  learn  that  there  are  so  many  bands  in  the 
country.  Sousa's  marches  have  appeared  on 
programs  in  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 
At  the  Queen's  Jubilee,  when  the  Queen 
stepped  forward  to  begin  the  grand  review 
of  the  troops,  the  combined  bands  of  the 
household  brigade  struck  up  the  "Washing- 
ton Post."     On  other  important  occasions  it 


1 1 6    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

appeared  constantly  as  the  chief  march  of 
the  week.  General  Miles  heard  the  marches 
played  in  Turkey  by  the  military  bands  in 
the  reviews. 

The  reason  for  this  overwhelming  appeal 
to  the  hearts  of  a  planet  is  not  far  to  seek. 
The  music  is  conceived  in  a  spirit  of  high 
martial  zest.  It  is  proud  and  gay  and  fierce, 
thrilled  and  thrilling  with  triumph.  Like  all 
great  music  it  is  made  up  of  simple  elements, 
woven  together  by  a  strong  personality.  It 
is  not  difficult  now  to  write  something  that 
sounds  more  or  less  like  a  Sousa  march,  any 
more  than  it  is  difficult  to  write  parodies, 
serious  or  otherwise,  on  Beethoven,  Mozart, 
or  Chopin.  The  glory  of  Sousa  is  that  he 
was  the  first  to  write  in  this  style  ;  that 
he  has  made  himself  a  style ;  that  he  has  so 
stirred  the  musical  world  that  countless  imi- 
tations have  sprung  up  after  him. 

The  individuality  of  the  Sousa  march  is 
this,  that,  unlike  most  of  the  other  influential 


The  Injiovators.  1 1 7 

marches,  it  is  not  so  much  a  musical  exhorta- 
tion from  without,  as  a  distillation  of  the  es- 
sences of  soldiering  from  within.  Sousa's 
marches  are  not  based  upon  music-room 
enthusiasms,  but  on  his  own  wide  experiences 
of  the  feelings  of  men  who  march  together  in 
the  open  field. 

And  so  his  band  music  expresses  all  the 
nuances  of  the  military  psychology :  the  ex- 
hilaration of  the  long  unisonal  stride,  the 
grip  on  the  musket,  the  pride  in  the  regimen- 
tals and  the  regiment,  — esprit  de  corps.  He 
expresses  the  inevitable  foppery  of  the  sever- 
est soldier,  the  tease  and  the  taunt  of  the 
evolutions,  the  fierce  wish  that  all  this  ploy- 
ing and  deploying  were  in  the  face  of  an 
actual  enemy,  the  mania  to  reek  upon  a  tan- 
gible foe  all  the  joyous  energy,  the  blood- 
thirst  of  the  warrior. 

These  things  Sousa  embodies  in  his  music 
as  no  other  music  writer  ever  has.  To  ap- 
proach Sousa's  work  in  the  right  mood,  the 


ii8   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

music  critic  must  leave  his  stuffy  concert  hall 
and  his  sober  black;  he  must  flee  from  the 
press,  don  a  uniform,  and  march.  After  his 
legs  and  spirits  have  grown  aweary  under  the 
metronomic  tunes  of  others,  let  him  note  the 
surge  of  blood  in  his  heart  and  the  rejuvena- 
tion of  all  his  muscles  when  the  brasses  flare 
into  a  barbaric  Sousa  march.  No  man  that 
marches  can  ever  feel  anything  but  gratitude 
and  homage  for  Sousa. 

Of  course  he  is  a  trickster  at  times ;  ad- 
mitted that  he  stoops  to  conquer  at  times, 
yet  in  his  field  he  is  supreme.  He  is  worthy 
of  serious  consideration,  because  his  thematic 
material  is  almost  always  novel  and  forceful, 
and  his  instrumentation  full  of  contrast  and 
climax.  He  is  not  to  be  judged  by  the  piano 
versions  of  his  works,  because  they  are  abom- 
inably thin  and  inadequate,  and  they  are  not 
klaviermaessig.  There  should  be  a  Liszt  or 
a  Taussig  to  transcribe  him. 

When  all's   said  and  done,   Sousa  is  the 


The  Innovators.  1 19 

pulse  of  the  nation,  and  in  war  of  more 
inspiration  and  power  to  our  armies  than  ten 
colonels  with  ten  braw  regiments  behind  them. 
Like  Strauss',  Mr,  Sousa's  father  was  a 
musician  who  forbade  his  son  to  devote  him- 
self to  dance  music.  As  Strauss'  mother 
enabled  him  secretly  to  work  out  his  own 
salvation,  so  did  Sousa's  mother  help  him. 
Sousa's  father  was  a  political  exile  from 
Spain,  and  earned  a  precarious  livelihood 
by  playing  a  trombone  in  the  very  band 
at  Washington  which  later  became  his  son's 
stepping-stone  to  fame.  Sousa  was  born  at 
Washington  in  1859.  His  mother  is  Ger- 
man, and  Sousa's  music  shows  the  effect 
of  Spanish  yeast  in  sturdy  German  rye  bread. 
Sousa's  teachers  were  John  Esputa  and 
George  Felix  Benkert.  The  latter  Mr.  Sousa 
considers  one  of  the  most  complete  musicians 
this  country  has  ever  known.  He  put  him 
through  such  a  thorough  theoretical  train- 
ing, that  at  fifteen  Sousa  was  teaching  har- 


120    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

mony.  At  eight  he  had  begun  to  earn  his 
own  hving  as  a  violin  player  at  a  dancing- 
school,  and  at  ten  he  was  a  public  soloist. 
At  sixteen  he  was  the  conductor  of  an  orches- 
tra in  a  variety  theatre.  Two  years  later  he 
was  musical  director  of  a  travelling  company 
in  Mr.  Milton  Nobles'  well-known  play,  "  The 
Phoenix,"  for  which  he  composed  the  inci- 
dental music.  Among  other  incidents  in  a 
career  of  growing  importance  was  a  position 
in  the  orchestra  with  which  Offenbach  toured 
this  country.  At  the  age  of  twenty-six,  after 
having  played,  with  face  blacked,  as  a  negro 
minstrel,  after  travelling  with  the  late  Matt 
Morgan's  Living  Picture  Company,  and  work- 
ing his  way  through  and  above  other  such 
experiences  in  the  struggle  for  life,  Sousa 
became  the  leader  of  the  United  States 
Marine  Band.  In  the  twelve  years  of  his 
leadership  he  developed  this  unimportant 
organization  into  one  of  the  best  military 
bands  in  the  world. 


The  Innovators.  121 

In  1892  his  leadership  had  given  him  such 
fame  that  he  withdrew  from  the  government 
service  to  take  the  leadership  of  the  band 
carrying  his  own  name. 

A  work  of  enormous  industry  was  his  col- 
lection and  arrangement,  by  governmental 
order,  of  the  national  and  typical  tunes  of  all 
nations  into  one  volume,  an  invaluable  book 
of  reference. 

Out  of  the  more  than  two  hundred  pub- 
lished compositions  by  Sousa,  it  is  not  possi- 
ble to  mention  many  here.  Though  some  of 
the  names  are  not  happily  chosen,  they  call 
up  many  episodes  of  parade  gaiety  and  jaunti- 
ness,  or  warlike  fire.  The  "  Liberty  Bell," 
"Directorate,"  "High  School  Cadets,"  "King 
Cotton,"  "Manhattan  Beach,"  "'Sound  Off!'" 
"Washington  Post,"  "Picador,"  and  others, 
are  all  stirring  works  ;  his  best,  I  think,  is  a 
deeply  patriotic  march,  "The  Stars  and  Stripes 
Forever."  The  second  part  of  this  has  some 
brass  work  of  particular  originality  and  vim. 


122    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

In  manuscript  are  a  few  works  of  larger 
form:  a  symphonic  poem,  "The  Chariot 
Race,"  an  historical  scene,  "  Sheridan's  Ride," 
and  two  suites,  "Three  Quotations  "  and  "The 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii." 

The  "  Three  Quotations  "  are  : 

(a)  "  The  King  of  France,  with  twenty  thousand  men, 
Marched   up   a   hill   and   then   marched   down 
again," 

which  is  the  motive  for  a  delightful  scherzo- 
march  of  much  humor  in  instrumentation  ; 

ip)  "  And  I,  too,  was  born  in  Arcadia," 

which  is  a  pastorale  with  delicious  touches  of 
extreme  delicacy ; 

if)  "  In  Darkest  Africa," 

which  has  a  stunning  beginning  and  is  a  stir- 
rmg  grotesque  in  the  negro  manner  Dvorak 
advised  Americans  to  cultivate.  All  three 
are  well  arranged  for  the  piano. 

The  second   suite  is  based  on  "The  Last 


The  Innovators.  123 

Days  of  Pompeii."  It  opens  with  a  drunken 
revel,  "  In  the  House  of  Burbo  and  Strato- 
nice  ;  "  the  bulky  brutishness  of  the  gladiators 
clamoring  for  wine,  a  jolly  drinking-song, 
and  a  dance  by  a  jingling  clown  make  up  a 
superbly  written  number.  The  second  move- 
ment is  named  "  Nydia,"  and  represents  the 
pathetic  reveries  of  the  blind  girl ;  it  is  tender 
and  quiet  throughout. 

The  third  movement  is  at  once  daring  and 
masterly.  It  boldly  attacks  "The  Destruc- 
tion," and  attains  real  heights  of  graphic  sug- 
gestion. A  long,  almost  inaudible  roll  on 
the  drums,  with  occasional  thuds,  heralds  the 
coming  of  the  earthquake ;  subterranean 
rumblings,  sharp  rushes  of  tremor,  toppling 
stones,  and  wild  panic  are  insinuated  vividly, 
with  no  cheap  attempts  at  actual  imitation. 
The  roaring  of  the  terrified  lion  is  heard,  and, 
best  touch  of  all,  under  the  fury  of  the  scene 
persists  the  calm  chant  of  the  Nazarenes, 
written  in  one  of  the  ancient  modes.     The 


124   Contemporaty  American  Composers. 

rout  gives  way  to  the  sea-voyage  of  Glaucus 
and  lone,  and  Nydia's  swan-song  dies  away 
in  the  gentle  splash  of  ripples.  The  work  is 
altogether  one  of  superb  imagination  and 
scholarly  achievement. 

Sousa,  appealing  as  he  does  to  an  audience 
chiefly  of  the  popular  sort,  makes  frequent 
use  of  devices  shocking  to  the  conventional. 
But  even  in  this  he  is  impelled  by  the  enthu- 
siasm of  an  experimenter  and  a  developer. 
Almost  every  unconventional  novelty  is  hooted 
at  in  the  arts.  But  the  sensationalism  of 
to-day  is  the  conservatism  of  to-morrow,  and 
the  chief  difference  between  a  touch  of  high 
art  and  a  trick  is  that  the  former  succeeds 
and  the  latter  does  not.  Both  are  likely  to 
have  a  common  origin. 

The  good  thing  is  that  Sousa  is  actuated 
by  the  spirit  of  progress  and  experiment,  and 
has  carried  on  the  development  of  the  mili- 
tary band  begun  by  the  late  Patrick  S.  Gil- 
more.     Sousa' s  concert  programs  devote  what 


The  Innovators.  125 

is  in  fact  the  greater  part  of  their  space  to 
music  by  the  very  best  composers.  These, 
of  course,  lose  something  in  being  translated 
over  to  the  military  band,  but  their  effect  in 
raising  the  popular  standard  of  musical  culture 
cannot  but  be  immense.  Through  such  in- 
strumentality much  of  Wagner  is  as  truly 
popular  as  any  music  played.  The  active 
agents  of  such  a  result  should  receive  the 
heartiest  support  from  every  one  sincerely 
interested  in  turning  the  people  toward  the 
best  things  in  music.  Incidentally,  it  is  well 
to  admit  that  while  a  cheap  march-tune  is 
almost  as  trashy  as  an  uninspired  symphony, 
a  good  march-tune  is  one  of  the  best  things 
in  the  best  music. 

Though  chiefly  known  as  a  writer  of 
marches,  in  which  he  has  won  glory  enough 
for  the  average  human  ambition,  Sousa  has 
also  taken  a  large  place  in  American  comic 
opera.  His  first  piece,  "The  Smugglers," 
was  produced  in  1879,  and  scored  the  usual 


126    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

failure  of  a  first  work.  His  "  Katherine " 
was  never  produced,  his  "  Desiree "  was 
brought  out  in  1884  by  the  McCaull  Opera 
Company,  and  his  "  Queen  of  Hearts,"  a  one- 
act  piece,  was  given  two  years  later.  He 
forsook  opera  then  for  ten  years  ;  but  in  1 896 
De  Wolf  Hopper  produced  his  "  El  Capitan  " 
with  great  success. 

The  chief  tune  of  the  piece  was  a  march 
used  with  Meyerbeerian  effectiveness  to  bring 
down  the  curtain.  The  stout  verve  of  this 
"El  Capitan"  march  gave  it  a  large  vogue 
outside  the  opera.  Hopper  next  produced 
"The  Charlatan,"  a  work  bordering  upon 
op6ra  comique  in  its  first  version.  Both  of 
these  works  scored  even  larger  success  in 
London  than  at  home. 

In  "The  Bride  Elect,"  Sousa  wrote  his 
own  libretto,  and  while  there  was  the  usual 
stirring  march  as  the  pi^ce  de  resistance,  the 
work  as  a  whole  was  less  clangorous  of  the 
cymbal  than  the  operas  of  many  a  tamer  com- 


The  Innovators. 

Hflllo  Hoderato  gnzioso. 


127 


Used  by  permiesion  of  the  John  Church  Company,  owners  of  the  copyright. 
A  PAGE  FROM  "  EL  CAPITAN,"  BY  JOHN  PHILIP  SOUSA. 


128    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

poser.  In  "  Chris  and  the  Wonderful  Lamp," 
an  extravaganza,  the  chief  ensemble  was 
worked  Up  from  a  previous  march,  "  Hands 
Across  the  Sea." 

But  Sousa  can  write  other  things  than 
marches,  and  his  scoring  is  full  of  variety, 
freedom,  and  contrapuntal  brilliance. 


Henry  Schoenefeld. 

Long  before  Dvorak  discovered  America, 
we  aboriginals  had  been  trying  to  invent  a 
national  musical  dialect  which  should  identify 
us  as  completely  to  the  foreigner  as  our  nasal 
intonation  and  our  fondness  for  the  correct 
and  venerable  use  of  the  word  "guess."  But 
Dvorak  is  to  credit  for  taking  the  problem 
off  the  shelf,  and  persuading  our  composers 
to  think.  I  cannot  coax  myself  into  the 
enthusiasm  some  have  felt  for  Dv6rak's  own 
explorations  in  darkest  Africa.  His  quartette 
(op.  96)  and  his  "  New  World  "  symphony  are 


The  Innovators.  129 

about  as  full  of  accent  and  infidelity  as  Mile. 
Yvette  Guilbert's  picturesque  efforts  to  sing 
in  English.  But  almost  anything  is  better 
than  the  phlegm  that  says,  "  The  old  ways  are 
good  enough  for  all  time  ;  "  and  the  Bohemian 
missionary  must  always  hold  a  place  in  the 
chronicle  of  American  music. 

A  disciple  of  Dvordk's,  both  in  advance  and 
in  retrospect,  is  Henry  Schoenefeld,  who 
wrote  a  characteristic  suite  (op,  15)  before  the 
Dvorakian  invasion,  and  an  overture,  "In  the 
Sunny  South,"  afterward.  The  suite,  which 
has  been  played  frequently  abroad,  winning 
the  praises  of  Hanslick,  Nicode,  and  Rubin- 
stein, is  scored  for  string  orchestra.  It  opens 
with  an  overly  reminiscent  waltz-tune,  and 
ends  conventionally,  but  it  contains  a  move- 
ment in  negro-tone  that  gives  it  importance.  . 
In  this  the  strings  are  abetted  by  a  tambou- 
rine, a  triangle,  and  a  gong.  It  is  in  march- 
time,  and,  after  a  staccato  prelude,  begins 
with  a  catchy  air  taken  by  the  second  violins, 


130   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

while  the  firsts,  divided,  fill  up  the  chords. 
A  slower  theme  follows  in  the  tonic  major ; 
it  is  a  jollificational  air,  dancing  from  the  first 
violins  with  a  bright  use  of  harmonics.  Two 
periods  of  loud  chorale  appear  with  the  gong 
clanging  (to  hint  a  church-bell,  perhaps).  The 
first  two  themes  return  and  end  the  picture. 
The  overture  (op.  22)  has  won  the  high 
esteem  of  A.  J,  Goodrich,  and  it  seems  to 
me  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  of  native 
works,  not  because  of  its  nigrescence,  but 
because  of  its  spontaneity,  therein.  It  adds 
to  the  usual  instruments  only  the  piccolo, 
the  English  horn,  the  tambourine,  and  tri- 
angle and  cymbals.  The  slow  introduction 
gives  forth  an  original  theme  in  the  most 
approved  and  most  fetching  darky  pattern. 
The  strings  announce  it,  and  the  wood  re- 
plies. The  flutes  and  clarinets  toss  it  in  a 
blanket  furnished  by  an  interesting  passage 
in  the  cellos  and  contrabasses.  There  is  a 
choral  moment  from  the   English  horn,  the 


The  Innovators.  131 

bassoons,  and  a  clarinet.  This  solemn  thought 
keeps  recurring  parenthetically  through  the 
general  gaiety.  The  first  subject  clatters  in, 
the  second  is  even  more  jubilant.  In  the 
development  a  dance  misterioso  is  used  with 
faithful  screaming  repetitions,  and  the  work 
ends  regularly  and  brilliantly.  There  is  much 
syncopation,  though  nothing  that  is  strictly 
in  "rag-time;"  banjo-figurations  are  freely 
and  ingeniously  employed,  and  the  whole  is 
a  splendid  fiction  in  local  color.  Schoene- 
feld's  negroes  do  not  speak  Bohemian. 

His  determined  nationalism  is  responsible 
for  his  festival  overture,  "The  American 
Flag,"  based  on  his  own  setting  of  Rodman 
Drake's  familiar  poem.  The  work  opens 
with  the  hymn  blaring  loudly  from  the  an- 
tiphonal  brass  and  wood.  The  subjects  are 
taken  from  it  with  much  thematic  skill,  and 
handled  artfully,  but  the  hymn,  which  ap- 
pears in  full  force  for  coda,  is  as  trite  as  the 
most  of  its  kith. 


132    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Schoenefeld  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  in 
1857,  His  father  was  a  musician,  and  his 
teacher  for  some  years.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen Schoenefeld  went  to  Leipzig,  where  he 
spent  three  years,  studying  under  Reinecke, 
Coccius,  Papperitz,  and  Grill,  A  large  choral 
and  orchestral  work  was  awarded  a  prize  over 
many  competitors,  and  performed  at  the 
Gewandhaus  concerts,  the  composer  conduct- 
ing. Thereafter  he  went  to  Weimar,  where 
he  studied  under  Edward  Lassen. 

In  1879  hs  came  back  to  America,  and 
took  up  his  residence  in  Chicago,  where  he 
has  since  lived  as  a  teacher,  orchestra  leader, 
and  composer.  He  has  for  many  years 
directed  the  Germania  Mannerchor. 

Schoenefeld's  "  Rural  Symphony "  was 
awarded  the  ^500  prize  offered  by  the 
National  Conservatory.  Dvordk  was  the 
chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Award,  and 
gave  Schoenefeld  hearty  compliments.  Later 
works  are  :  "  Die  drei  Indianer,"  an  ode  for 


The  Innovators.  133 

male  chorus,  solo,  and  orchestra ;  a  most 
beautiful  "  Air "  for  orchestra  (the  air  being 
taken  by  most  of  the  strings,  —  the  first  vio- 
lins haunting  the  G  string,  —  while  a  harp 
and  three  flutes  carry  the  burden  of  the  ac- 
companiment gracefully) ;  a  pleasant  "  Rev- 
erie "  for  string  orchestra,  harp,  and  organ ; 
and  two  impromptus  for  string  orchestra,  a 
"  Meditation  "  representing  Cordelia  brooding 
tenderly  over  the  slumbering  King  Lear,  — 
art  ministering  very  tenderly  to  the  mood,  — 
and  a  cleverly  woven  "  Valse  Noble." 

Only  a  few  of  Schoenefeld's  works  are  pub- 
lished, all  of  them  piano  pieces.  It  is  no  slur 
upon  his  orchestral  glory  to  say  that  these 
are  for  the  most  part  unimportant,  except 
the  excellent  "Impromptu"  and  "Prelude." 
Of  the  eight  numbers  in  "The  Festival,"  for 
children,  only  the  "  Mazurka "  is  likely  to 
make  even  the  smallest  child  think.  The 
"  Kleine  Tanz  Suite "  is  better.  The  six 
children's  pieces  of  opus  41,   "Mysteries  of 


134   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

the  Wood,"  make  considerable  appeal  to  the 
fancy  and  imagination,  and  are  highly  inter- 
esting. They  show  Grieg's  influence  very 
plainly,  and  are  quite  worth  recommending. 
This  cannot  be  said  of  his  most  inelegant 
"  Valse  Elegante,"  or  of  his  numerous  dances, 
except,  perhaps,  his  "Valse  Caprice." 

He  won  in  July,  1899,  the  prize  offered  to 
American  composers  by  Henri  Marteau,  for  a 
sonata  for  violin  and  piano.  The  jury  was  com- 
posed of  such  men  as  Dubois,  Pierne,  Diemer, 
and  Pugno.  The  sonata  is  quasi  f ant asia^  and 
begins  strongly  with  an  evident  intention  to 
make  use  of  negro-tone.  The  first  subject  is 
so  vigorously  declared  that  one  is  surprised 
to  find  that  it  is  elastic  enough  to  express  a 
sweet  pathos  and  a  deep  gloom.  It  is  rather 
fully  developed  before  the  second  subject 
enters;  this,  on  the  other  hand,  is  hardly 
insinuated  in  its  relative  major  before  the 
rather  inelaborate  elaboration  begins.  In  the 
romanza,  syncopation  and  imitation  are  much 


The  Innovators.  135 

relied  on,  though  the  general  atmosphere 
is  that  of  a  nocturne,  a  trio  of  dance-like 
manner  breaking  in.  The  final  rondo  com- 
bines a  clog  with  a  choral  intermezzo.  The 
work  is  noteworthy  for  its  deep  sincerity  and 
great  lyric  beauty. 

Maurice  Arnold. 

The  plantation  dances  of  Maurice  Arnold 
have  an  intrinsic  interest  quite  aside  from 
their  intrinsic  value.  Arnold,  whose  full 
name  is  Maurice  Arnold-Strothotte,  was  born 
in  St.  Louis  in  1865.  His  mother  was  a 
prominent  pianist  and  gave  him  his  first  les- 
sons in  music.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he 
went  to  Cincinnati,  studying  at  the  College  of 
Music  for  three  years.  In  1883  he  went  to 
Germany  to  study  counterpoint  and  composi- 
tion with  Vierling  and  Urban  in  Berlin.  The 
latter  discouraged  him  when  he  attempted  to 
imbue  a  suite  with  a  negro  plantation  spirit. 


136    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Arnold  now  went  upon  a  tramping  tour  in 
Hungary,  Bulgaria,  and  Turkey.  Some  of 
his  compositions  show  the  influence  of  his 
journey.  He  then  entered  the  Cologne  Con- 
servatory, studying  under  Wuellner,  Neitzel, 
and  G.  Jensen.  His  first  piano  sonata  was 
performed  there  at  a  public  concert.  He 
next  went  to  Breslau,  where,  under  the  in- 
struction of  Max  Bruch,  he  wrote  his  cantata, 
"The  Wild  Chase,"  and  gave  public  perform- 
ance to  other  orchestral  work.  Returning 
now  to  St.  Louis,  he  busied  himself  as  solo 
violinist  and  teacher,  travelling  also  as  a  con- 
ductor of  opera  companies.  When  Dvdrak 
came  here  Arnold  wrote  his  "  Plantation 
Dances,"  which  were  produced  in  a  concert 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Bohemian  com- 
poser. Arnold  was  instructor  of  harmony  at 
the  National  Convervatory  under  Dvordk. 

The  "  Plantation  Dances "  are  Arnold's 
thirty-third  opus,  and  they  have  been  much 
played  by  orchestras ;  they  are  also  published 


The  Innovators.  1 3  7 

as  a  piano  duet ;  the  second  dance  also  as  a 
solo.  Arnold  has  not  made  direct  use  of 
Ethiopian  themes,  but  has  sought  the  African 
spirit.  The  first  of  the  dances  is  very 
nigresque ;  the  second  hardly  at  all,  though 
it  is  a  delicious  piece  of  music  ;  the  third 
dance  uses  banjo  figures  and  realizes  darky 
hilarity  in  fine  style ;  the  fourth  is  a  cake 
walk  and  hits  off  the  droll  humor  of  that 
pompous  ceremony  fascinatingly. 

Arnold's  "  Dramatic  Overture  "  shows  afire 
and  rush  very  characteristic  of  him  and 
likely  to  be  kept  up  without  sufficient  con- 
trast. So  also  does  his  cantata,  "  The  Wild 
Chase."  Arnold  has  written  two  comic 
operas.  I  have  heard  parts  of  the  first  and 
noted  moments  of  much  beauty  and  humor. 
The  Aragonaise,  which  opens  the  third  act, 
is  particularly  delightful.  The  orchestra- 
tion throughout  displays  Arnold's  character- 
istic studiousness  in  picturesque  effect. 

For  piano  there  is  a  czardas,  and  a  "  Valse 


138    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

fil^gante  "  for  eight  hands ;  it  is  more  Vien- 
nese than  Chopinesque.  It  might  indeed  be 
called  a  practicable  waltz  lavishly  adorned. 
The  fruits  of  Arnold's  Oriental  journey  are 
seen  in  his  impressionistic  "  Danse  de  la  Mid- 
way Plaisance  ;  "  a  very  clever  reminiscence  of 
a  Turkish  minstrel ;  and  a  Turkish  march, 
which  has  been  played  by  many  German 
orchestras.  There  is  a  "  Caprice  Espagnol," 
which  is  delightful,  and  a  "  Banjoenne,"  which 
treats  banjo  music  so  captivatingly  that 
Arnold  may  be  said  to  have  invented  a  new 
and  fertile  and  musical  form.  Besides  these 
there  are  a  fugue  for  eight  hands,  a  "  Min- 
strel Serenade  "  for  violin  and  piano,  and  six 
duets  for  violin  and  viola. 

There  are  also  a  few  part  songs  and  some 
solos,  among  which  mention  should  be  made 
of  "Ein  Marlein,"  in  the  old  German  style, 
an  exquisitely  tender  "Barcarolle,"  and  a 
setting  of  the  poem,  "  I  Think  of  Thee  in 
Silent  Night,"  which  makes  use  of  a  particu- 


The  Innovators.  1 39 

larly  beautiful  phrase  for  pre-,  inter-,  and 
post-lude.  Arnold  has  also  written  some 
ballet  music,  a  tarantelle  for  string  orches- 
tra, and  is  at  work  upon  a  symphony,  and  a 
book,  "Some  Points  in  Modern  Orchestra- 
tion." His  violin  sonata  (now  in  MS.)  shows 
his  original  talent  at  its  best.  In  the  first 
movement,  the  first  subject  is  a  snappy  and 
taking  example  of  negro-tone,  the  second  has 
the  perfume  of  moonlit  magnolia  in  its  lyri- 
cism. (In  the  reprise  this  subject,  which  had 
originally  appeared  in  the  dominant  major, 
recurs  in  the  tonic  major,  the  key  of  the  so- 
nata being  E  minor.)  The  second  movement 
is  also  in  the  darky  spirit,  but  full  of  mel- 
ancholy. For  finale  the  composer  has  flown 
to  Ireland  and  written  a  bully  jig  full  of  dash 
and  spirit, 

N.  Clifford  Page. 

The  influence  of  Japanese  and  Chinese  art 
upon  our  world  of  decoration  has  long  been 


140    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

realized.  After  considering  the  amount  of 
interest  shown  in  the  Celestial  music  by 
American  composers,  one  is  tempted  to 
prophesy  a  decided  influence  in  this  line,  and 
a  considerable  spread  of  Japanese  influence 
in  the  world  of  music  also.  Japanese  music 
has  a  decorative  effect  that  is  sometimes 
almost  as  captivating  as  in  painting. 

The  city  of  San  Francisco  is  the  natural 
gateway  for  any  such  impulse,  and  not  a 
little  of  it  has  already  passed  the  custom 
house.  In  this  field  Edgar  S.  Kelley's  influ- 
ence is  predominating,  and  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing that  he  should  pass  the  contagion  on  to 
his  pupil,  Nathaniel  Clifford  Page,  who  was 
born  in  San  Francisco,  October  26,  1866. 
His  ancestors  were  American  for  many  years 
prior  to  the  Revolution.  He  composed  operas 
at  the  age  of  twelve,  and  has  used  many  of 
these  immature  ideas  with  advantage  in  the 
later  years.  He  began  the  serious  study  of 
music  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  Kelley  being  his 


The  Innovator's.  141 

principal  teacher.  His  first  opera,  composed 
and  orchestrated  before  he  became  of  age, 
was  entitled  "  The  First  Lieutenant."  It 
was  produced  in  1889  at  the  Tivoli  Opera 
House  in  San  Francisco,  where  most  of  the 
critics  spoke  highly  of  its  instrumental  and 
Oriental  color,  some  of  the  scenes  being  laid 
in  Morocco. 

In  instrumentation,  which  is  considered 
Page's  forte,  he  has  never  had  any  instruc- 
tion further  than  his  own  reading  and  inves- 
tigation.  He  began  to  conduct  in  opera  and 
concert  early  in  life,  and  has  had  much 
experience.  He  has  also  been  active  as  a 
teacher  in  harmony  and  orchestration. 

An  important  phase  of  Page's  writing  has 
been  incidental  music  for  plays,  his  greatest 
success  having  been  achieved  by  the  music 
for  the  "Moonlight  Blossom,"  a  play  based 
upon  Japanese  life  and  produced  in  London 
in  1898.  The  overture  was  written  entirely 
on    actual    Japanese   themes,    including   the 


142    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

national  anthem  of  Japan.  Page  was  three 
weeks  writing  these  twelve  measures.  He 
had  a  Japanese  fiddle  arranged  with  a  violin 
finger-board,  but  thanks  to  the  highly  charac- 
teristic stubbornness  of  orchestral  players,  he 
was  compelled  to  have  this  part  played  by  a 
mandolin.  Two  Japanese  drums,  a  whistle 
used  by  a  Japanese  shampooer,  and  a  Japanese 
guitar  were  somehow  permitted  to  add  their 
accent.  The  national  air  is  used  in  augmen- 
tation later  as  the  bass  for  a  Japanese  song 
called  "K  Honen."  The  fidelity  of  the 
music  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  Sir  Edwin 
Arnold's  Japanese  wife  recognized  the  vari- 
ous airs  and  was  carried  away  by  the  national 
anthem. 

Although  the  play  was  not  a  success,  the 
music  was  given  a  cordial  reception,  and 
brought  Page  contracts  for  other  work  in 
England,  including  a  play  of  Indian  life  by 
Mrs.   Flora  Annie  Steel. 

Previously  to  the  writing  of  the  "Moon- 


The  Innovators.  143 

light  Blossom  "  music,  Page  had  arranged  the 
incidental  music  for  the  same  author's  play, 
"The  Cat  and  the  Cherub."  Edgar  S. 
Kelley's  "  Aladdin  "  music  was  the  source 
from  which  most  of  the  incidental  music 
was  drawn ;  but  Page  added  some  things 
of  his  own,  among  them  being  one  of  the 
most  effective  and  unexpected  devices  for 
producing  a  sense  of  horror  and  dread  I 
have  ever  listened  to :  simply  the  sounding 
at  long  intervals  of  two  gruff  single  tones 
in  the  extreme  low  register  of  the  double 
basses  and  bassoons.  The  grimncss  of  this 
effect  is  indescribable. 

An  unnamed  Oriental  opera,  and  an  opera 
called  "Villiers,"  in  which  old  English  color 
is  employed  (including  a  grotesque  dance  of 
the  clumsy  Ironsides),  show  the  cosmopolitan 
restlessness  of  Page's  muse.  An  appalling 
scheme  of  self-amusement  is  seen  in  his 
"  Caprice,"  in  which  a  theme  of  eight  meas- 
ures' length  is  instrumented  with  almost  every 


144    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

contrapuntal  device  known,  and  with  psycho- 
logical variety  that  runs  through  five  move- 
ments, scherzando,  vigoroso,  con  sentimento, 
religioso,  and  a  marcia  fantastico.  The  suite 
called  "Village  Fete"  is  an  experiment  in 
French  local  color.  It  contains  five  scenes : 
The  Peasants  Going  to  Chapel ;  The  Flower 
Girls;  The  Vagabonds;  The  Tryst;  The 
Sabot  Dance,  and  the  Entrance  of  the 
Mayor,  which  is  a  pompous  march. 

On  the  occasion  of  a  performance  of  this, 
Louis  Arthur  Russell  wrote :  "His  orchestra 
is  surely  French,  and  as  modern  as  you 
please.  The  idiom  is  Berlioz's  rather  than 
Wagner's." 


JOHN    KNOWLES    PAINE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    ACADEMICS. 


John  Knowles  Paine. 


(rL.^%u^ 


There  is  one  thing  better  than  modernity, 
—  it  is  immortality.  So  while  I  am  a  most 
ardent  devotee  of  modern  movements,  be- 
cause they  are  at  worst  experiments,  and 
motion  is  necessary  to  life,  I  fail  to  see  why 
145 


146    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

it  is  necessary  in  picking  up  something  new 
always  to  drop  something  old,  as  if  one  were 
an  awkward,  butter-fingered  parcel-carrier. 

If  a  composer  writes  empty  stuff  in  the 
latest  styles,  he  is  one  degree  better  than 
the  purveyor  of  trite  stuff  in  the  old  styles ; 
but  he  is  nobody  before  the  high  thinker  who 
finds  himself  suited  by  the  general  methods 
of  the  classic  writers. 

The  most  classic  of  our  composers  is  their 
venerable  dean,  John  Knowles  Paine.  It  is 
an  interesting  proof  of  the  youth  of  our  native 
school  of  music,  that  the  principal  symphony, 
"  Spring,"  of  our  first  composer  of  import- 
ance, was  written  only  twenty-one  years  ago. 
Before  Mr.  Paine  there  had  never  been  an 
American  music  writer  worthy  of  serious 
consideration  in  the  larger  forms. 

By  a  mere  coincidence  Joachim  Raff  had 
written  a  symphony  called  "Spring"  in 
1878,  just  a  year  before  Paine  finished  his 
in  America.     The  first  movement  in  both  is 


The  Academics,  147 

called  "  Nature's  Awakening  ; "  such  an  idea 
is  inevitable  in  any  spring  composition,  from 
poetry  up  —  or  down.  For  a  second  move- 
ment Raff  has  a  wild  "Walpurgis  Night 
Revel,"  while  Paine  has  a  scherzo  called 
"May  Night  Fantasy."  Where  Raff  is 
uncanny  and  fiendish,  Paine  is  cheerful 
and  elfin.  The  third  movement  of  Raff's 
symphony  is  called  "  First  Blossoms  of 
Spring,"  and  the  last  is  called  "  The  Joys 
of  Wandering."  The  latter  two  movements 
of  Mr.  Paine's  symphony  are  "  A  Promise  of 
Spring"  and  "The  Glory  of  Nature."  The 
beginning  of  both  symphonies  is,  of  course, 
a  slow  introduction  representing  the  torpid 
gloom  of  winter,  out  of  which  spring  aspires 
and  ascends, 

Paine's  symphony,  though  aiming  to  shape 
the  molten  gold  of  April  fervor  in  the  rigid 
mold  of  the  symphonic  form,  has  escaped 
every  appearance  of  mechanism  and  restraint. 
It    is   program    music    of    the    most    legiti- 


148    Contemporary  Americati  Composers. 

mate  sort,  in  full  accord  with  Beethoven's 
canon,  "  Mehr  Ausdruck  der  Empfindung  als 
Malerei."  It  has  no  aim  of  imitating  spring- 
time noises,  but  seeks  to  stimulate  by  sug- 
gestion the  hearer's  creative  imagination,  and 
provoke  by  a  musical  telepathy  the  emotions 
that  swayed  the  nympholept  composer. 

The  first  movement  of  the  symphony  has  an  intro- 
duction containing  two  motives  distinct  from  the  two 
subjects  of  the  movement.  These  motives  represent 
Winter  and  the  Awakening.  The  Winter  motive 
may  be  again  divided  into  a  chill  and  icy  motif 
and  a  rushing  wind-motif.  Through  these  the  timid 
Awakening  spirit  lifts  its  head  like  the  first  trillium 
of  the  year.  There  is  a  silence  and  a  stealthy  flutter 
of  the  violins  as  if  a  cloud  of  birds  were  playing 
courier  to  the  Spring. 

Suddenly,  after  a  little  prelude,  as  if  a  bluebird 
were  tuning  his  throat,  vi^e  are  enveloped  in  the  key 
of  the  symphony  (A  major)  and  the  Spring  runs  lilt- 
ing up  the  'cellos  to  the  violins  (which  are  divided  in 
the  naif  archaic  interval  of  the  tenth,  too  much  ig- 
nored in  our  over-colored  harmonies).  The  second 
subject  is  propounded  by  the  oboes  (in  the  rather 
unusual  related  key  of  the  submediant).     This  is  a 


The  Academics.  149 

lyrical  and  dancing  idea,  and  it  does  battle  with  the 
underground  resistance  of  the  Winter  motives.  There 
is  an  elaborate  conclusion  of  fiercest  joy.  Its  ecstasy 
droops,  and  after  a  little  flutter  as  of  little  wings,  the 
elaboration  opens  with  the  Spring  motive  in  the  minor. 
In  this  part,  scholarship  revels  in  its  own  luxury,  the 
birds  quiver  about  our  heads  again,  and  the  reprise 
begins  (in  A  major  of  course)  with  new  exultance,  the 
dancing  second  subject  appears  (in  the  tonic),  over- 
whelming the  failing  strength  of  the  Winter  with  a 
cascade  of  delight.  Then  the  conclusion  rushes  in ; 
this  I  consider  one  of  the  most  joyous  themes  ever 
inspired. 

There  is  a  coda  of  vanishing  bird-wings  and  throats, 
a  pizzicato  chord  on  the  strings  —  and  Spring  has  had 
her  coronation. 

"The  May  Night  Fantasy"  is  a  moonlit  revel  of 
elves  caught  by  a  musical  reporter,  a  surreptitious 
"  chiel  amang  'em  takin'  notes."  A  single  hobgob- 
lin bassoon  croaks  ludicrously  away,  the  pixies  darkle 
and  flirt  and  dance  their  hearts  out  of  them. 

The  Romance  is  in  rondo  form  with  love-lorn 
iteration  of  themes  and  intermezzo,  and  deftest 
broidery,  the  whole  ending,  after  a  graceful  Recollec- 
tion, in  a  bliss  of  harmony. 

The  Finale  is  a  halleluiah.  It  is  on  the  sonata 
formula,  without  introduction  (the  second  subject 
being  not   in  the   dominant  of  A   major,   but   in   C 


150    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

major,  that  chaste,  frank  key  which  one  of  the  popes 
strangely  dubbed  "  lascivious  ").  The  elaboration  is 
frenetic  with  strife,  but  the  reprise  is  a  many-hued 
rainbow  after  storm,  and  the  coda  in  A  major  (ending 
a  symphony  begun  in  A  minor)  is  swift  with  delight. 

This  symphony  has  been  played  much,  but 
not  half  enough.  It  should  resist  the  weari- 
ness of  time  as  immortally  as  Fletcher's  play, 
"  The  Two  Noble  Kinsmen  "  (in  which  Shake- 
speare's hand  is  glorious),  for  it  is,  to  quote 
that  drama,  "fresher  than  May,  sweeter 
than  her  gold  buttons  on  the  bough,  or  all 
th'enamell'd  knacks  o'  the  mead  or  garden." 

John  Knowles  Paine  is  a  name  that  has 
been  held  in  long  and  high  honor  among 
American  composers.  He  was  about  the 
earliest  of  native  writers  to  convince  foreign 
musicians  that  some  good  could  come  out  of 
Nazareth. 

He  was  bom  in  Portland,  Me.,  January  9, 
1839.  He  studied  music  first  under  a  local 
teacher,   Kotzschmar,   making   his   debut   as 


The  Academics.  1 5 1 

organist  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  A  year  later 
he  was  in  BerHn,  where  for  three  years  he 
studied  the  organ,  composition,  instrumenta- 
tion, and  singing  under  Haupt,  Wieprecht,  and 
others.  He  gave  several  organ  concerts  in 
Germany,  and  made  a  tour  in  1865- 1866. 
In  February,  1867,  his  "Mass"  was  given  at 
the  Berlin  Singakademie,  Paine  conducting. 
Then  he  came  back  to  the  States,  and  in 
1872  was  appointed  to  an  instructorship  of 
music  at  Harvard,  whence  he  was  promoted 
in  1876  to  a  full  professorship,  a  chair  created 
for  him  and  occupied  by  him  ever  since  with 
distinguished  success. 

His  first  symphony  was  brought  out  by 
Theodore  Thomas  in  1876.  This  and  his 
other  orchestral  works  have  been  frequently 
performed  at  various  places  in  this  country 
and  abroad. 

His  only  oratorio,  "St.  Peter,"  was  first 
produced  at  Portland  in  1873,  and  in  Boston 
a  year  later.     It  is  a  work  of  great  power  and 


152    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

much  dramatic  strength.  Upton,  in  his 
valuable  work,  "  Standard  Oratorios,"  calls 
it  "from  the  highest  standpoint  the  only 
oratorio  yet  produced  in  this  country." 

This  oratorio,  while  containing  much  of 
the  floridity  and  repetition  of  Handel  at  his 
worst,  is  also  marked  with  the  erudition  and 
largeness  of  Handel  at  his  best.  The  aria 
for  St.  Peter,  "  O  God,  My  God,  Forsake  Me 
Not,"  is  especially  fine. 

A  much-played  symphonic  poem  is  Paine's 
"  The  Tempest,"  which  develops  musically 
the  chief  episodes  of  Shakespeare's  play. 
He  has  also  written  a  valuable  overture  to 
"As  You  Like  It ;  "  he  has  set  Keats'  "  Realm 
of  Fancy "  exquisitely,  and  Milton's  "  Na- 
tivity." And  he  has  written  a  grand  opera 
on  a  mediaeval  theme  to  his  own  libretto. 
This  is  a  three-act  work  called  "  Azara ; " 
the  libretto  has  been  published  by  the  River- 
side Press,  and  is  to  be  translated  into  German. 
This   has    not  yet  been    performed.     Being, 


The  Academics.  i  $  3 

unfortunately,  an  American  grand  opera,  it 
takes  very  little  acuteness  of  foresight  to 
predict  a  long  wait  before  it  is  ever  heard. 
In  it  Paine  has  shown  himself  more  a  roman- 
ticist than  a  classicist,  and  the  work  is  said 
to  be  full  of  modernity. 

Paine  wrote  the  music  for  Whittier's 
"Hymn,"  used  to  open  the  Centennial  Ex- 
position at  Philadelphia,  and  was  fitly  chosen 
to  write  the  Columbus  March  and  Hymn  for 
the  opening  ceremonies  of  the  World's  Fair, 
at  Chicago,  October  21,  1892.  This  was 
given  by  several  thousand  performers  under 
the  direction  of  Theodore  Thomas. 

A  most  original  and  interesting  work  is 
the  chorus,  "  Phoebus,  Arise."  It  seems  good 
to  hark  back  for  words  to  old  William  Drum- 
mond  "of  Hawthornden."  The  exquisite 
flavor  of  long-since  that  marks  the  poetry  is 
conserved  in  the  tune.  While  markedly 
original,  it  smacks  agreeably  of  the  music  of 
Harry  Lawes,  that  nightingale  of  the  seven- 


154    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

teenth  century,  whose  fancies  are  too  much 
neglected  nowadays. 

Paine' s  strong  point  is  his  climaxes,  which 
are  never  timid,  and  are  often  positively 
titanic,  thrilling.  The  climax  of  this  chorus 
is  notably  superb,  and  the  voices  hold  for  two 
measures  after  the  orchestra  finishes.  The 
power  of  this  effect  can  be  easily  imagined. 
This  work  is  marked,  to  an  unusual  extent, 
with  a  sensuousness  of  color. 

The  year  eighteen  hundred  eighty-one  saw 
the  first  production  of  what  is  generally 
considered  Paine's  most  important  com- 
position, and  by  some  called  the  best 
work  by  an  American,  —  his  setting  of  the 
choruses  of  the  "GEdipos  Tyrannos "  of 
Sophokles.  It  was  written  for  the  presen- 
tation by  Harvard  University,  and  has  been 
sung,  in  whole  or  in  part,  very  frequently 
since.  This  masterpiece  of  Grecian  genius 
is  so  mighty  in  conception  and  so  mighty  in 
execution  that  it  has  not  lost  power  at  all  in 


The  Academics.  155 

the  long  centuries  since  it  first  thrilled  the 
Greeks.  To  realize  its  possibilities  musically 
is  to  give  proof  enough  of  the  very  highest 
order  of  genius,  —  a  genius  akin  to  that  of 
Sophokles.  It  may  be  said  that  in  general 
Paine  has  completely  fulfilled  his  opportu- 
nities. 

Mendelssohn  also  set  two  Greek  tragedies 
to  music,  Sophokles'  "  CEdipos  in  Kolonos  " 
and  his  "Antigone."  Mendelssohn  is  re- 
ported to  have  made  a  first  attempt  at 
writing  Grecian  music,  or  what  we  suppose 
it  to  be,  mainly  a  matter  of  unison  and  meagre 
instrumentation.  He  was  soon  dissuaded 
from  such  a  step,  however,  and  wisely.  The 
Greek  tragedians,  really  writers  of  grand 
opera,  made  undoubted  use  of  the  best 
musical  implements  and  knowledge  they  had. 
Creative  emotion  has  its  prosperity  in  the 
minds  of  its  audience,  not  in  the  accuracy  of 
its  mechanism.  To  secure  the  effect  on  us 
that  the  Greek  tragedians  produced  on  con- 


156    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

temporary  audiences,  it  is  necessary  that  our 
music  be  a  sublimation  along  the  lines  we  are 
accustomed  to,  as  theirs  was  along  lines 
familiar  to  them  and  effective  with  them. 
Otherwise,  instead  of  being  moved  by  the 
miseries  of  CEdipos,  we  should  be  chiefly 
occupied  with  amusement  at  the  oddity  of 
the  music,  and  soon  bored  unendurably  by 
its  monotony  and  thinness. 

Mendelssohn  decided  then  to  use  unison 
frequently  for  suggestion's  sake,  but  not  to 
carry  it  to  a  fault.  His  experiments  along 
these  lines  have  been  of  evident  advantage  to 
Paine,  who  has,  however,  kept  strictly  to  his 
own  individuality,  and  produced  a  work  that, 
at  its  highest,  reaches  a  higher  plane,  in  my 
opinion,  than  anything  in  Mendelssohn's  noble 
tragedies,  —  and  I  am  not,  at  that,  one  of 
those  that  affect  to  look  down  upon  the 
achievements  of  the  genius  that  built  "Eli- 
jah." 

Paine's    prelude  is  an  immense   piece   of 


The  Academics.  1 5  7 

work,  in  every  way  larger  and  more  elabo- 
rate than  that  to  Mendelssohn's  "  Antigone" 
(the  "CEdipos  in  Kolonos"  begins  strongly 
with  only  one  period  of  thirteen  measures). 
The  opening  chorus  of  Paine's  "CEdipos"  is 
the  weakest  thing  in  the  work.  The  second 
strophe  has  a  few  good  moments,  but  soon 
falls  back  into  what  is  impudent  enough  to 
be  actually  catchy!  —  and  that,  too,  of  a 
Lowell  Mason,  Moody  and  Sankey  catchi- 
ness.  Curiously  enough,  Mendelssohn's 
"  Antigone "  begins  with  a  chorus  more 
like  a  drinking-song  than  anything  else,  and 
the  first  solo  is  pure  Volkslied;  both  of  them 
imbued  with  a  Teutonic  flavor  that  could  be 
cut  with  a  knife.  In  Mendelssohn's  "  CEdipos 
in  Kolonos,"  however,  the  music  expresses 
emotion  rather  than  German  emotion,  and 
abounds  in  splendors  of  harmony  that  are 
strikingly  Wagnerian  —  in  advance. 

Paine's    second   chorus   describes  the  im- 
aginary pursuit  by  Fate  of  the  murderer  of 


158    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


Copyright,  1895,  by  Arthur  P.  Schmidt. 

POSTLUDE  TO   "  CEDIPUS   TYRANNUS,"    BY   J.  K.    PAINE. 


i6o   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

King  Laius.  It  is  full  of  grim  fire,  and  the 
second  strophe  is  at  first  simply  terrible  with 
awe.  Then  it  degenerates  somewhat  into  an 
arioso,  almost  Italian.  The  fourth  chorus 
defends  the  oracles  from  Jocasta's  incredulity. 
It  is  written  almost  in  march  measure,  and  is 
full  of  robor. 

At  this  point  in  the  tragedy,  where  it  be- 
gins to  transpire  to  CEdipos  that  he  himself 
was  the  unwitting  murderer  and  the  incestu- 
ous wretch  whose  exile  the  oracle  demands 
before  dispelling  the  plague,  —  here  the  divine 
genius  of  Sophokles  introduces  a  chorus  of 
general  merriment,  somewhat  as  Shakespeare 
uses  the  maundering  fool  as  a  foil  to  heighten 
King  Lear's  fate.  No  praise  can  be  too  high 
for  Paine's  music  here.  Its  choric  structure 
is  masterly,  its  spirit  is  running  fire.  Note, 
as  an  instance,  the  effect  at  the  words  "To 
save  our  land  thou  didst  rise  as  a  tower ! " 
where  the  music  itself  is  suddenly  uplift  with 
most  effective  suggestion. 


The  Academics.  l6l 

The  sixth  chorus  shows  the  effect  of 
CEdipos'  divulged  guilt  and  the  misery  of  this 
fool  of  Fate.  The  music  is  an  outburst  of 
sheer  genius.  It  is  overpowering,  frighten- 
ing. The  postlude  is  orchestral,  with  the 
chorus  speaking  above  the  music.  Jocasta 
has  hanged  herself,  GEdipos  has  torn  out  his 
own  eyes  with  her  brooch.  The  music  is  a 
fitting  reverie  on  the  great  play,  and  after  a 
wild  tumult  it  subsides  in  a  resigned  quietude. 

From  Greek  tragedy  to  Yankee  patriotism 
is  a  long  cry,  yet  I  think  Paine  has  not  wasted 
his  abilities  on  his  "  Song  of  Promise,"  writ- 
ten for  the  Cincinnati  May  Festival  of  1888. 
Though  the  poem  by  Mr.  George  E.  Wood- 
berry  is  the  very  apotheosis  of  American 
brag,  it  has  a  redeeming  technic.  The  music, 
for  soprano  solo,  mixed  chorus,  and  orchestra, 
reaches  the  very  peaks  of  inspiration.  I 
doubt  if  any  living  composer  or  many  dead 
masters  could  grow  so  epic,  as  most  of  this. 
In  a  way  it  is  academic.     It  shows  a  little  of 


1 62    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

the  influence  of  Wagner,  —  as  any  decent 
music  should  nowadays.  But  it  is  not 
Wagner's  music,  and  it  is  not  trite  academia. 
There  is  no  finicky  tinsel  and  no  cheap 
oddity. 

Considering  the  heights  at  which  both 
words  and  music  aimed,  it  is  amazing  that 
they  did  not  fall  into  utter  wreck  and  nau- 
seating bathos.  That  they  have  proved  so 
effective  shows  the  sure-footedness  of  genius. 
It  is  all  good,  especially  the  soprano  solo. 

This  music  is  exquisite,  wondrously  exqui- 
site, and  it  is  followed  by  a  maestoso  e  solenne 
movement  of  unsurpassable  majesty.  I  have 
never  read  anything  more  purely  what  music 
should  be  for  grandeur.  And  it  praises  our 
ain  countree !  It  might  well  be  taken  up  by 
some  of  our  countless  vocal  societies  to  give 
a  much  needed  respite  to  Handel's  threadbare 
"  Messiah." 

When  one  considers  the  largeness  of  the 
works  to   which   Paine  has  devoted   himself 


The  Academics.  163 

chiefly,  he  can  be  excused  for  the  meagreness 
and  comparative  unimportance  of  his  smaller 
works  for  piano  and  vocal  solo.  The  only 
song  of  his  I  care  for  particularly  is  "  A  Bird 
upon  a  Rosy  Bough  "  (op.  40),  which  is  old- 
fashioned,  especially  in  accompaniment,  yet 
at  times  delicious.  The  song  "  Early  Spring- 
time" is  most  curiously  original. 

Of  piano  pieces  there  are  a  sprightly 
"  Birthday  Impromptu  "  and  a  fuga  giocosa, 
which  deals  wittily  with  that  theme  known 
generally  by  the  words  "  Over  the  Fence  Is 
Out !  "  The  "  Nocturne  "  begins  like  Schu- 
mann, falls  into  the  style  of  his  second  Nov- 
ellette,  thence  to  the  largo  of  Beethoven's 
Sonata  (op.  10,  No.  3),  thence  to  Chopinism, 
wherein  it  ends,  an  interesting  assemblage 
withal ! 

A  long  "Romance"  for  the  piano  is 
marked  by  some  excellent  incidents  and 
much  passion,  but  it  lacks  unity.  It  is  the 
last    work   in    "  An     Album     of     Pianoforte 


164    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Pieces,"  which  is  otherwise  full  of  rare  de- 
lights. It  is  made  up  of  opera  25,  26,  and  39. 
Opus  25  contains  four  characteristic  pieces, 
—  a  "Dance"  full  of  dance-rapture,  a  most 
original  "  Impromptu,"  and  a  "  Rondo  Gio- 
coso,"  which  is  just  the  kind  of  brilliantly 
witty  scherzo  whose  infrequency  in  American 
music  is  so  lamentable  and  so  surprising. 
Opus  26  includes  ten  sketches,  all  good,  espe- 
cially "  Woodnotes,"  a  charming  tone-poem, 
the  deliciously  simple  "Wayside  Flowers," 
"  Under  the  Lindens,"  which  is  a  masterpiece 
of  beautiful  syncopation,  a  refreshingly  inter- 
esting bit  in  the  hackneyed  "  Millstream " 
form,  and  a  "Village  Dance,"  which  has 
much  of  that  quaint  flavor  that  makes  Hel- 
ler's etudes  a  perennial  delight. 

Besides  these,  there  are  a  number  of 
motets,  organ  preludes,  string  quartettes,  con- 
cert pieces  for  violin,  cello,  piano,  and  the 
like,  all  contributing  to  the  furtherance  of 
an  august  fame. 


The  Academics.  165 

Dudley  Buck. 

Music  follows  the  laws  of  supply  and  de- 
mand just  as  the  other  necessities  of  life  do. 
But  before  a  demand  could  exist  for  it  in  its 
more  austere  and  unadulterated  forms,  the 
general  taste  for  it  must  be  improved.  For 
this  purpose  the  offices  of  skilful  compro- 
misers were  required,  composers  who  could  at 
the  same  time  please  the  popular  taste  and 
teach  it  discrimination.  Among  these  invalu- 
able workers,  a  high  place  belongs,  in  point 
both  of  priority  and  achievement,  to  Dudley 
Buck.  He  has  been  a  powerful  agent,  or 
reagent,  in  converting  the  stagnant  ferment 
into  a  live  and  wholesome  ebullition,  or  as 
the  old  Greek  evolutionists  would  say,  start- 
ing the  first  progress  in  the  primeval  ooze  of 
American  Philistinism. 

A  more  thoroughly  New  England  ancestry 
it  would  be  hard  to  find.  The  founder  of 
the   family   came  over    from    England    soon 


1 66   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

after  the  Mayjlozver  landed.  Buck  was 
named  after  Governor  Dudley  of  the  Ply- 
mouth Colony.  He  was  born  at  Hartford, 
March  lo,  1839.  His  father  was  a  prosper- 
ous shipping  merchant,  one  of  whose  boats, 
during  the  Civil  War,  towed  the  Monitor 
from  New  York  to  Fortress  Monroe  on  the 
momentous  voyage  that  destroyed  the  Merri- 
macs  usefulness. 

Buck,  though  intended  for  commercial  life, 
borrowed  a  work  on  thorough-bass  and  a  flute 
and  proceeded  to  try  the  wings  of  his  muse. 
A  melodeon  supplanted  the  flute,  and  when 
he  was  sixteen  he  attained  the  glory  of  a 
piano,  a  rare  possession  in  those  times. 
(Would  that  it  were  rarer  now!)  He 
took  a  few  lessons  and  played  a  church- 
organ  for  a  salary,  —  a  small  thing,  but  his 
own. 

After  reaching  the  junior  year  in  Trinity 
College,  he  prevailed  upon  his  parents  to  sur- 
render him   to  music,  an  almost  scandalous 


The  Academics.  167 

career  in  the  New  England  mind  of  that  day, 
still  unbleached  of  its  Blue  Laws. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  went  to  Leipzig 
and  entered  the  Conservatory  there,  studying 
composition  under  Hauptmann  and  E.  F. 
Richter,  orchestration  under  Rietz,  and  the 
piano  under  Moscheles  and  Plaidy.  Later  he 
went  to  Dresden  and  studied  the  organ  with 
Schneider. 

After  three  years  in  Germany,  he  studied 
for  a  year  in  Paris,  and  came  home,  settling 
down  in  Hartford  as  church-organist  und 
teacher.  He  began  a  series  of  organ-concert 
tours  lasting  fifteen  years.  He  played  in 
almost  every  important  city  and  in  many 
small  towns,  popularizing  the  best  music  by 
that  happy  fervor  of  interpretation  which 
alone  is  needed  to  bring  classical  composi- 
tions home  to  the  public  heart.  In  1869  he 
was  called  to  the  "  mother-church"  of  Chicago. 
In  the  Chicago  fire  he  lost  many  valuable 
manuscripts,  including  a  concert  overture  on 


1 68    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Drake's  exquisite  poem,  "The  Culprit  Fay," 
which  must  be  especially  regretted.  He 
moved  his  family  to  Boston,  assuming  in  ten 
days  the  position  of  organist  at  St.  Paul's  ; 
and  later  he  accepted  charge  of  "the  great 
organ  "  at  Music  Hall,  —  that  organ  of  which 
Artemus  Ward  wrote  so  deliciously. 

In  1 875  Theodore  Thomas,  whose  orchestra 
had  performed  many  of  Buck's  compositions, 
invited  him  to  become  his  assistant  conductor 
at  the  Cincinnati  Music  Festival  and  at  the 
last  series  of  concerts  at  the  Central  Park 
Garden  in  New  York.  Buck  accepted  and 
made  his  home  in  Brooklyn,  where  he  has 
since  remained  as  organist  of  the  Holy  Trinity 
Church,  and  conductor  of  the  Apollo  Club, 
which  he  founded  and  brought  to  a  high  state 
of  efficiency,  writing  for  it  many  of  his  nu- 
merous compositions  for  male  voices. 

Buck's  close  association  with  church  work 
has  naturally  led  him  chiefly  into  sacred 
music,  and    in  this  class  of   composition  he 


The  Academics.  169 

is  by  many  authorities  accorded  the  very 
highest  place  among  American  composers. 
He  has  also  written  many  organ  solos,  so- 
natas, marches,  a  pastorale,  a  rondo  caprice, 
and  many  concert  transcriptions,  as  well  as  a 
group  of  6tudes  for  pedal  phrasing,  and  sev- 
eral important  treatises  on  various  musical 
topics.  His  two  "  Motett  Collections  "  were 
a  refreshing  relief  and  inspiration  to  church 
choirs  thirsty  for  religious  Protestant  music 
of  some  depth  and  warmth. 

In  the  cantata  form  Buck  also  holds  a  fore- 
most place.  In  1876  he  was  honored  with 
a  commission  to  set  to  music  "  The  Centen- 
nial Meditation  of  Columbia,"  a  poem  written 
for  the  occasion  by  the  Southern  poet,  Sidney 
Lanier.  This  was  performed  at  the  opening 
of  the  Philadelphia  Exhibition  by  a  chorus  of 
one  thousand  voices,  an  organ,  and  an  orches- 
tra of  two  hundred  pieces  under  the  direction 
of  Theodore  Thomas.  In  1874  he  made  a 
metrical  version  of  "The    Legend  of   Don 


I/O    Contemporary  Americati  Composers. 

Munio  "  from  Irving's  "  Alhambra,"  and  set 
it  to  music  for  a  small  orchestra  and  chorus. 
Its  adaptability  to  the  resources  of  the  vocal 
societies  of  smaller  cities  has  made  it  one  of 
his  most  popular  works. 

Another  bit  of  Washington  Irving  is  found 
in  Buck's  cantata,  "The  Voyage  of  Colum- 
bus," the  libretto  for  which  he  has  taken 
from  Irving's  "  Life  of  Columbus."  It  con- 
sists of  six  night-scenes,  —  "  The  Chapel  of 
St.  George  at  Palos,"  "On  the  Deck  of  the 
Sajita  Maria,''  "The  Vesper  Hymn,"  "Mu- 
tiny," "  In  Distant  Andalusia,"  and  "  Land 
and  Thanksgiving."  The  opportunities  here 
for  Buck's  skilful  handling  of  choruses  and 
his  dramatic  feeling  in  solos  are  obvious,  and 
the  work  has  been  frequently  used  both  in 
this  country  and  in  Germany  with  much  suc- 
cess. Buck,  in  fact,  made  the  German  libretto 
as  well  as  the  English,  and  has  written  the 
words  for  many  of  his  compositions.  His 
largest  work  was  "  The  Light  of  Asia,"  com- 


The  Academics.  171 

posed  in  1885  and  based  on  Sir  Edwin 
Arnold's  epic.  It  requires  two  and  one-half 
hours  for  performance  and  has  met  the  usual 
success  of  Buck's  music ;  it  was  produced 
in  London  with  such  soloists  as  Nordica, 
Lloyd,  and  Santley.  It  has  been  occasionally 
given  here. 

He  has  found  the  greater  part  of  his  texts 
in  American  poetry,  particularly  in  Lanier, 
Stedman,  and  Longfellow,  whose  "King  Olaf's 
Christmas  "  and  "  Nun  of  Nidaros  "  he  has 
set  to  music,  as  well  as  his  "  Golden  Legend," 
which  won  a  prize  of  one  thousand  dollars  at 
the  Cincinnati  Festival  in  a  large  competition. 
His  work  is  analyzed  very  fully  in  A.  J. 
Goodrich'  "  Musical  Analysis." 

Here,  as  in  his  symphonic  overture  to 
Scott's  "Marmion,"  Buck  has  adopted  the 
Wagnerian  idea  of  the  leit-motif  as  a  vivid 
means  of  distinguishing  musically  the  various 
characters  and  their  varying  emotions.  His 
music  is  not  markedly  Wagnerian,  however, 


1/2    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


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The  Academics.  1 73 

in  other  ways,  but  seems  to  show,  back  of 
his  individuality,  an  assimilation  of  the  good 
old  school  of  canon  and  fugue,  with  an  Italian 
tendency  to  the  declamatory  and  well-rounded 
melodic  period. 

It  might  be  wished  that  in  his  occasional 
secular  songs  Buck  had  followed  less  in  the 
steps  of  the  Italian  aria  and  the  English  bal- 
^lad  and  adopted  more  of  the  newer,  nobler 
spirit  of  the  Lied  as  Schumann  and  Franz 
represent  it,  and  as  many  of  our  younger 
Americans  have  done  with  thorough  success 
and  not  a  little  of  exaltation.  Note  for 
instance  the  inadequacy  of  the  old-style 
balladry  to  both  its  own  opportunity  and 
the  otherwise-smothered  fire  of  such  a  poem 
as  Sidney  Lanier's  "  Sunset,"  which  is  posi- 
tively Shakespearean  in  its  passionate  per- 
fection. 

In  religious  music,  however,  Mr.  Buck  has 
made  a  niche  of  its  own  for  his  music,  which 
it  occupies  with  grace  and  dignity. 


[74    Contemporary  Americati  Composers. 


Uu 


Horatio   W.   Parker. 
4 


WAr<J^  k/.>Ww<- 


When  one  considers  the  enormous  space 
occupied  by  the  hymn-tune  in  New  England 
musical  activity,  it  is  small  wonder  that  most 
of  its  composers  should  display  hymnal  pro- 
clivities. Both  Buck  and  Parker  are  natives 
of  New  England. 

Parker  was  born,  September  15,  1863,  at 
Auburndale,  Mass.  His  mother  was  his 
first  teacher  of  music.  She  was  an  organist, 
and  gave  him  a  thorough  technical  schooling 
which  won  the  highest  commendation  later 
from  Rheinberger,  who  entrusted  to  him  the 
first   performance  of  a  new  organ  concerto. 


HORATIO    \V.    PARKER. 


The  Academics.  175 

After  some  study  in  Boston  under  Stephen 
A.  Emery,  John  Orth,  and  G.  W.  Chadwick, 
Parker  went  to  Munich  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
where  he  came  under  the  special  favor  of 
Rheinberger,  and  where  various  compositions 
were  performed  by  the  Royal  Music  School 
orchestra.  After  three  years  of  Europe,  he 
returned  to  America  and  assumed  the  direc- 
tion of  the  music  at  St.  Paul's  school.  He 
has  held  various  posts  since,  and  has  been, 
since  1 894,  the  Battell  Professor  of  Music  at 
Yale. 

His  rather  imposing  list  of  works  includes 
a  symphony  (1885),  an  operetta,  a  concert 
overture  (1884),  an  overture,  "  Regulus " 
(1885),  performed  in  Munich  and  in  London, 
and  an  overture,  "Count  Robert  of  Paris" 
(1890),  performed  in  New  York,  a  ballad  for 
chorus  and  orchestra,  "King  Trojan,"  pre- 
sented in  Munich  in  1885,  the  Twenty-third 
Psalm  for  female  chorus  and  orchestra  (1884), 
an  "Idylle"  (1891) ;  "The  Normans,"  "The 


176    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Kobolds,"  and  "  Harold  Harfager,"  all  for 
chorus  and  orchestra,  and  all  dated  1891  ;  an 
oratorio,  three  or  more  cantatas,  and  various 
bits  of  chamber-music.  His  opus  number 
has  already  reached  forty-three,  and  it  is 
eked  out  to  a  very  small  degree  by  such 
imponderous  works  as  organ  and  piano  solos, 
hymns,  and  songs.  In  1893,  Parker  won  the 
National  Conservatory  prize  for  a  cantata,  and 
in  1898  the  McCagg  prize  for  an  a  capella 
chorus. 

Parker's  piano  compositions  and  secular 
songs  are  not  numerous.  They  seem  rather 
the  incidental  byplays  and  recreations  of  a 
fancy  chiefly  turned  to  sacred  music  of  the 
larger  forms. 

Opus  19  consists  of  "Four  Sketches,"  of 
which  the  "  Etude  Melodieuse  "  is  as  good  as 
is  necessary  in  that  overworked  style,  wherein 
a  thin  melody  is  set  about  with  a  thinner 
ripple  of  arpeggios.  The  "  Romanza "  is 
lyric  and  delightful,  while  the  "  Scherzino " 


The  Academics.  177 

is  delicious  and  crisp  as  celery ;  it  is  worthy 
of  Schumann,  whom  it  suggests,  and  many 
of  whose  cool  tones  and  mannerisms  it 
borrows. 

The  "  5  Morceaux  Characteristiques  "  are 
on  the  whole  better.  The  "Scherzo"  is 
shimmering  with  playfulness,  and,  in  the 
Beethoven  fashion,  has  a  tender  intermezzo 
amoroso.  This  seriousness  is  enforced  with 
an  ending  of  a  most  plaintive  nature.  The 
"Caprice"  is  brilliant  and  whimsical,  with 
some  odd  effects  in  accent.  The  "  Gavotte  " 
makes  unusual  employment  of  triplets,  but 
lacks  the  precious  yeast  of  enthusiasm 
necessary  to  a  prime  gavotte. 

This  enthusiasm  is  not  lacking  however 
from  his  "  Impromptu,"  and  it  makes  his 
"  Elegie  "  a  masterly  work,  possibly  his  best 
in  the  smaller  lines.  This  piece  is  altogether 
elegiac  in  spirit,  intense  in  its  sombrest 
depths,  impatient  with  wild  outcries, — like 
Chopin's   "  Funeral  March,"  —  and  working 


r/S   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

up  to  an  immense  passion  at  the  end.  This 
subsides  in  ravish ingly  liquid  arpeggios,  — 
"melodious  tears  "  ? —  which  obtain  the  kin- 
dred effect  of  Chopin's  tinkling  "Berceuse" 
in  a  slightly  different  way.  This  notable 
work  is  marred  by  an  interlude  in  which  the 
left  hand  mumbles  harshness  in  the  bass, 
while  the  right  hand  is  busy  with  airy  fiori- 
ture.  It  is  too  close  a  copy  of  the  finish  of 
the  first  movement  of  Beethoven's  "  Moon- 
light "  sonata.  The  lengthening  skips  of  the 
left  hand  are  also  Beethoven esque  trade- 
marks. 

Parker  is  rather  old-fashioned  in  his  forms 
of  musical  speech.  That  is,  he  has  what  you 
might  call  the  narrative  style.  He  follows 
his  theme  as  an  absorbing  plot,  engaging 
enough  in  itself,  without  gorgeous  digressions 
and  pendent  pictures.  His  work  has  some- 
thing of  the  Italian  method.  A  melody  or  a 
theme,  he  seems  to  think,  is  only  marred  by 
abstruse    harmony,    and    is     endangered     by 


The  Academics.  179 

diversions.  One  might  almost  say  that  a 
uniform  lack  of  attention  to  color-poissibili- 
ties  and  a  monotonous  fidelity  to  a  cool,  gray 
tone  characterize  him.  His  fondness  for  the 
plain,  cold  octave  is  notable.  It  is  emphasized 
by  the  ill-success  of  his  "Six  Lyrics  for 
Piano,  without  octaves."  They  are  all  of 
thin  value,  and  the  "Novelette"  is  danger- 
ously Schumannesque. 

The  "Three  Love  Songs"  are  happy, 
"  Love's  Chase  "  keeping  up  the  arch  raillery 
and  whim  of  Beddoe's  verse.  "Orsame's 
Song  "  is  smooth  and  graceful,  ending  with  a 
well-blurted,  abrupt  "  The  devil  take  her ! " 
The  "  Night-piece  to  Julia  "  is  notable.  We 
have  no  poet  whose  lyrics  are  harder  to  set 
to  music  than  good  Robin  Herrick's.  They 
have  a  lilt  of  their  own  that  is  incompatible 
with  ordinary  music.  Parker  has,  however, 
been  completely  successful  in  this  instance. 
A  mysterious,  night-like  carillon  accompani- 
ment, dehcate  as  harebells,  gives  sudden  way 


[8o    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


Copyright,  1S86,  by  Arthur  P.  Sclimidt  &  Co. 

FRAGMENT  OF   MR.  PARKER'S  SONG,  "  NIGHT-PIECE  TO 
JUI-TA-" 


The  Academics.  i8i 

to  a  superb  support  of  a  powerful  outburst  at 
the  end  of  the  song. 

The  "  Six  Songs  "  show  not  a  Httle  of  that 
modernity  and  opulent  color  I  have  denied 
to  the  most  of  Mr.  Parker's  work.  "  Oh. 
Ask  Me  Not  "  is  nothing  less  than  inspira- 
tion, rapturously  beautiful,  with  a  rich  use 
of  unexpected  intervals.  The  "  Egyptian 
Serenade  "  is  both  novel  and  beautiful.  The 
other  songs  are  good  ;  even  the  comic-operatic 
flavor  of  the  "  Cavalry  Song "  is  redeemed 
by  its  catchy  sweep. 

Among  a  large  number  of  works  for  the 
pipe-organ,  few  are  so  marked  by  that  pur- 
poseless rambling  organists  are  so  prone  to, 
as  the  "  Fantaisie,"  The  "  Melody  and  Inter- 
mezzo "  of  opus  20  makes  a  sprightly  humor- 
esque.  The  "  Andante  Religioso  "  of  opus  1 7 
has  really  an  allegretto  effect,  and  is  much 
better  as  a  gay  pastorale  than  as  a  devotional 
exercise.  It  is  much  more  shepherdly  than 
the  avowed  "  Pastorale  "  (opus  20),  and  almost 


1 82   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

as  much  so  as  the  "Eclogue,"  dehcious  with 
the  organ's  possibiHties  for  reed  and  pipe 
effects.  The  "  Romanza "  is  a  gem  of  the 
first  water.  A  charming  quaint  effect  is  got 
by  the  accompaniment  of  the  air,  played  legato 
on  the  swell,  with  an  echo,  staccato,  of  its 
own  chords  on  the  great.  The  interlude  is 
a  tender  melody,  beautifully  managed.  The 
two  "  Concert  Pieces  "  are  marked  by  a  large 
simplicity  in  treatment,  and  have  this  rare 
merit,  that  they  are  less  gymnastic  exercises 
than  expressions  of  feeling.  A  fiery  "  Trium- 
phal March,"  a  delightful  "  Canzonetta,"  and 
a  noble  "  Larghetto,"  of  sombre,  yet  rich  and 
well-modulated,  colors,  complete  the  list  of 
his  works  for  the  organ.  None  of  these  are 
registered  with  over-elaboration. 

To  sacred  music  Parker  has  made  important 
contributions.  Besides  a  dignified,  yet  im- 
passioned, complete  "  Morning  and  Evening 
Service  for  the  Holy  Communion,"  he  has 
written  several  single  songs  and  anthems. 


The  Academics.  183 

It  is  the  masterwork,  "  Hora  Novissima," 
however,  which  lifts  him  above  golden  medi- 
ocrity. From  the  three  thousand  lines  of 
Bernard  of  Cluny's  poem,  "  De  Contemptu 
Mundi,"  famous  since  the  twelfth  century, 
and  made  music  with  the  mellowness  of  its 
own  Latin  rhyme,  Mrs.  Isabella  G.  Parker, 
the  composer's  mother,  has  translated  210 
lines.  The  English  is  hardly  more  than  a 
loose  paraphrase,  as  this  random  parallel 
proves : 

Pars  mea,  Rex  meus,  Most  Mighty,  most  Holy, 

In  proprio  Deus,  How  great  is  the  glory, 

Ipse  decora.  Thy  throne  enfolding. 

Or  this  skilful  evasion  : 

Tunc  Jacob,  Israel,  All  the  long  history, 

Et  Lia,  tunc  Rachel  All  the  deep  mystery 

Efficietur.  Through  ages  hidden. 

But  it  is  perhaps  better  for  avoiding  the 
Charybdis  of  literalness. 

Those    who     accuse    Rossini's     "  Stabat 


184   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Mater"  of  a  fervor  more  theatric  than  re- 
ligious, will  find  the  same  faults  in  Parker's 
work,  along  with  much  that  is  purely  ecclesi- 
astical. Though  his  sorrow  is  apt  to"  become 
petulance,  there  is  much  that  is  as  big  in 
spirit  as  in  handling.  The  work  is  frequently 
Mendelssohnian  in  treatment.  An  archaism 
that  might  have  been  spared,  since  so  little 
of  the  poem  was  retained,  is  the  sad  old 
Handelian  style  of  repeating  the  same  words 
indefinitely,  to  all  neglect  of  emptiness  of 
meaning  and  triteness.  Thus  the  words 
"  Pars  mea,  Rex  metis  "  are  repeated  by  the 
alto  exactly  thirteen  times!  which,  any  one 
will  admit,  is  an  unlucky  number,  especially 
since  the  other  voices  keep  tossing  the  same 
unlucky  words  in  a  musical  battledore. 

The  especially  good  numbers  of  the  work 
(which  was  composed  in  1892,  and  first  pro- 
duced, with  almost  sensational  success,  in 
1893)  are:  the  magnificent  opening  chorus; 
the  solo  for  the  soprano ;  the  large  and  fiery 


The  Academics.  185 

finale  to  Part  I.  ;  the  superb  tenor  solo, 
"Golden  Jerusalem,"  which  is  possibly  the 
most  original  and  thrilling  of  all  the  numbers, 
is,  in  every  way,  well  varied,  elaborated,  and 
intensified,  and  prepares  well  for  the  massive 
and  effective  double  chorus,  "  Stant  Syon 
Atria,"  an  imposing  structure  whose  ambition 
found  skill  sufficing ;  an  alto  solo  of  original 
qualities ;  and  a  finale,  tremendous,  though 
somewhat  long  drawn  out.  Of  this  work,  so 
careful  a  critic  as  W.  J.  Henderson  was 
moved  to  write : 

« His  melodic  ideas  are  not  only  plentiful,  but 
they  are  beautiful,  .  .  .  graceful  and  sometimes 
splendidly  vigorous.  .  .  .  There  is  an  a  capella 
chorus  which  is  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of 
pure  church  polyphony  that  has  been  produced  in 
recent  years.  ...  It  might  have  been  written  by 
Hobrecht,  Brume),  or  even  Josquin  des  Pres.  It  is 
impossible  to  write  higher  praise  than  this.  .  .  . 
The  orchestration  is  extraordinarily  .  .  .  rich.  As 
a  whole  .  .  .  the  composition  .  .  .  may  be  set 
down  as  one  of  the  finest  achievements  of  the 
present  day." 


1 86    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

And  Philip  Hale,  a  most  discriminant 
musical  enthusiast,  described  the  chorus 
"  Pars  Mea  "  as  : 

"  A  masterpiece,  true  music  of  the  church,"  to 
which  "  any  acknowledged  master  of  composition  in 
Europe  would  gladly  sign  his  name.  .  .  .  For  the 
a  capella  chorus  there  is  nothing  but  unbounded 
praise.  .  .  .  Weighing  words  as  counters,  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  say  that  I  know  of  no  one  in  the  country 
or  in  England  who  could  by  nature  and  by  student's 
sweat  have  written  those  eleven  pages.  ...  I  have 
spoken  of  Mr.  Parker's  quasi-operatic  tendency. 
Now  he  is  a  modern.  He  has  shown  in  this  very 
work  his  appreciation  and  his  mastery  of  antique 
religious  musical  art.  But  as  a  modern  he  is  com- 
pelled to  feel  the  force  of  the  dramatic  in  religious 
music.  .  .  .  But  his  most  far-reaching,  his  most 
exalted  and  rapt  conception  of  the  bliss  beyond 
compare  is  expressed  in  the  language  of  Palestrina 
and  Bach." 

In  September,  1899,  the  work  was  pro- 
duced  with  decisive  success  in  London, 
Parker  conducting. 

Besides    this,   there    are    several    secular 


The  A  cadcm  ics.  1 8  7 

cantatas,  particularly  "King  Trojan,"  which 
contains  a  singable  tune  for  Trojan  with 
many  delicate  nuances  in  the  accompaniment, 
and  a  harp-accompanied  page's  song  that  is 
simply  ambrosial.  Then  there  is  Arlo  Bates' 
poem,  "The  Kobolds,"  which  Parker  has 
blessed  with  music  as  delicate  as  the  laces  of 
gossamer-spiders. 

His  latest  work  is  devoted  to  the  legend 
of  St.  Christopher,  and  displays  the  same 
abilities  for  massive  and  complex  scoring 
whenever  the  opportunity  offers.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  work  discloses  Parker's  weak- 
nesses as  well,  for  the  libretto  drags  in  certain 
love  episodes  evidently  thought  desirable  for 
the  sake  of  contrast  and  yet  manifestly  un- 
necessary to  the  story.  The  character  of 
the  queen,  for  instance,  is  quite  useless,  and, 
in  fact,  disconcerting.  The  love  scene  be- 
tween the  king  and  queen  reminds  one 
uncomfortably  of  Tristan  and  Isolde,  while 
a  descending  scale  constantly  used  throughout 


1 88    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

the  work  in  the  accompaniment  incessantly 
suggests  the  "Samson  and  Delilah"  of 
Saint-Saens. 

In  spite  of  flaws,  however,  —  flaws  are 
to  be  had  everywhere  for  the  looking,  — 
Parker's  work  has  its  fine  points.  The 
struggle  between  the  demons  and  the  singers 
of  the  sacred  Latin  Hymn  has  made  excellent 
use  of  the  Tannhauser  effect.  The  Cathedral 
scene  shows  Parker's  resources  in  the  massive 
use  of  choruses  to  be  very  large.  The  bar- 
carolling  billows  of  the  river  are  ravishingly 
written,  and  the  voice  of  the  child  crying  out 
is  effectively  introduced.  The  song  the  giant 
Christopher  sings  through  the  storm  is  par- 
ticularly superb. 

Frank  van  der  Stucken. 

On  the  bead-roll  of  those  who  have  had 
both  the  ability  and  the  courage  to  take  a 
stand  for  our  music,  the  name  of  Frank  van 


FRANK    VAN    DER    STUCKEN. 


The  Academics.  1 89 

der  Stucken  must  stand  high.  His  Ameri- 
canism is  very  frail,  so  far  as  birth  and  breed- 
ing count,  but  he  has  won  his  naturahzation 
by  his  ardor  for  native  music. 

Van  der  Stucken's  life  has  been  full  of 
labors  and  honors.  He  was  born  at  Fred- 
ericksburg, Texas,  in  1858,  of  a  Belgian 
father  and  a  German  mother.  After  the 
Civil  War,  in  which  the  father  served  fn 
the  Confederate  army  as  a  captain  of  the 
Texan  cavalry,  the  family  returned  to  Bel- 
gium, where,  at  Antwerp,  Van  der  Stucken 
studied  under  Benoit.  Here  some  of  his 
music  was  played  in  the  churches,  and  a 
ballet  at  the  Royal  Theatre. 

In  1878  he  began  studies  in  Leipzig,  mak- 
ing important  acquaintances,  such  as  Rei- 
necke,  Grieg,  and  Sinding.  His  first  male 
chorus  was  sung  there,  with  great  success. 
Of  his  fifth  opus,  consisting  of  nine  songs, 
Edvard  Grieg  wrote  an  enthusiastic  criti- 
cism.    After  travelling  for  some  time,  Van 


190    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

der  Stucken  was  appointed  kapellmeister  at 
the  Breslau  Stadt-Theatre,  This  was  his 
debut  as  conductor.  Here  he  composed  his 
well-known  suite  on  Shakespeare's  "  Tem- 
pest," which  has  been  performed  abroad  and 
here.  Here,  also,  he  wrote  a  "  Festzug,"  an 
important  work  in  Wagnerian  style,  and  his 
passionate  "  Pagina  d'  Amore,"  which,  with 
the  published  portions  of  his  lyric  drama, 
"Vlasda,"  has  been  performed  by  many 
great  orchestras. 

In  1883,  Van  der  Stucken  met  Liszt,  at 
Weimar,  and  under  his  auspices  gave  a  con- 
cert of  his  own  compositions,  winning  the 
congratulations  of  Grieg,  Lassen,  Liszt,  and 
many  other  celebrated  musicians.  A  promi- 
nent German  critic  headed  his  review  of  the 
performance  :  "  A  new  star  on  the  musical 
firmament." 

Van  der  Stucken  was  now  called  to  the 
directorship  of  the  famous  Arion  Male  Chorus 
in  New  York,  a  position  which  he  held  for 


The  Academics.  191 

eleven  years  with  remarkable  results.  In 
1892  he  took  his  chorus  on  a  tour  in  Europe 
and  won  superlative  praises  everywhere. 

In  1885  and  successive  years  Van  der 
Stucken  conducted  orchestral  "  Novelty  Con- 
certs," which  have  an  historical  importance 
as  giving  the  first  hearing  to  symphonic 
works  by  American  composers.  In  Berlin 
and  in  Paris  he  also  gave  our  musicians  the 
privilege  of  public  performance.  From  1891 
to  1894  he  devoted  himself  to  reforming 
the  Northeastern  Saengerbund,  achieving  the 
enormous  task  of  making  five  thousand  male 
voices  sing  difficult  music  artistically.  Since 
1895  Van  der  Stucken  has  been  conductor 
of  the  newly  formed  Cincinnati  Symphony 
Orchestra,  as  well  as  dean  of  the  faculty  of 
the  College  of  Music  in  that  city.  The  in- 
fluence of  this  man,  who  is  certainly  one  of 
the  most  important  musicians  of  his  time,  is 
bringing  Cincinnati  back  to  its  old  musical 
prestige. 


192    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

As  a  composer,  Van  der  Stucken  shows 
the  same  orginality  and  power  that  charac- 
terize him  as  an  organizer.  His  prelude  to 
the  opera  "Vlasda"  (op,  9)  is  one  long 
rapture  of  passionate  sweetness,  superbly- 
instrumented.  An  arrangement  of  it  has 
been  made  for  the  piano  for  four  hands  by 
Horatio  W.  Parker, 

Van  der  Stucken's  music  to  "  The  Tem- 
pest" (op.  8)  is  published  in  three  forms. 
Besides  the  orchestral  score,  there  is  an 
arrangement  for  piano  solo,  by  A.  Siloti, 
of  the  "  Dance  of  the  Gnomes,"  "  Dance  of 
the  Nymphs,"  and  "  Dance  of  the  Reapers," 
the  first  and  third  being  especially  well 
transcribed.  For  four  hands,  Hans  Sitt 
has  arranged  these  three  dances,  as  well  as 
a  short  but  rich  "  Exorcism,"  some  splendid 
melodramatic  music,  and  the  rattling  gro- 
tesque, "The  Hound-chase  after  Caliban." 
All  these  pieces  are  finely  imagined  and 
artistically  handled. 


The  Academics,  193 

For  piano  solo,  there  is  a  group  of  three 
Miniatures  (op.  7).  The  first  is  an  Album- 
blatt  of  curious  dun  colors ;  the  second  is  a 
Capriccietto,  a  strange  whim  ;  the  third  is  a 
beautiful  bit  called  "  May  Blossom." 

Of  Van  der  Stucken's  songs  I  have  seen 
two  groups,  the  first  a  setting  of  five  love 
lyrics  by  Riickert.  None  of  these  are  over 
two  pages  long,  except  the  last.  They  are 
written  in  the  best  modern  Lied  style,  and 
are  quite  unhackneyed.  It  is  always  the  un- 
expected that  happens,  though  this  unex- 
pected thing  almost  always  proves  to  be  a 
right  thing.  Without  any  sense  of  strain  or 
bombast  he  reaches  superb  climaxes ;  with- 
out eccentricity  he  is  individual ;  and  his 
songs  are  truly  interpreters  of  the  words 
they  express.  Of  these  five,  "  Wann  die 
Rosen  aufgebliiht "  is  a  wonderfully  fine 
and  fiery  work  ;  "  Die  Stunde  sei  gesegnet " 
has  one  of  the  most  beautiful  endings  imagi- 
nable ;  "  Mir  ist,  nun  ich  die  habe  "  has  a  deep 


194     Contetnporary  American  Composers. 


Copyright,  1892, by  Fricdrich  Luckhardt,  Berlin. 
By  permission  of  Luckhardt  &  Bolder,  New  York. 

FRAGMENT  OI''  MR.  VAN   DER  STUCKEN'S  "  DIE  STIINDE  -SEI 
GESEGNET." 


The  Academics.  195 

significance  in  much  simplicity,  and  its  end- 
ing, by  breaking  the  rule  against  consecutive 
octaves,  attains,  as  rule-breakings  have  an 
unpleasant  habit  of  doing,  an  excellent  effect. 
"  Liebste,  nur  dich  seh'n  "  is  a  passionate 
lyric  ;  and  "Wenn  die  Voglein  sich  gepaart  " 
is  florid  and  trilly,  but  legitimately  so ;  it 
should  find  much  concert  use.  These  songs, 
indeed,  are  all  more  than  melodies  ;  they  are 
expressions. 

Of  the  second  group  of  eight  songs  for 
low  voice,  "  O  Jugendlust "  is  athrill  with 
young  ecstasy ;  "  Einsame  Thrane "  has 
superb  coloring,  all  sombre,  and  a  tre- 
mendous climax  ;  "  Seeligkeit  "  is  big  with 
emotion  and  ravishing  in  harmony,  "  Ein 
Schaferlied  "  is  exquisite,  "  Von  schon  Sici- 
lien  war  mein  Traum "  begins  in  the  style 
of  Lassen,  but  ends  with  a  strength  and 
vigor  far  beyond  that  tender  melodist.  Be- 
sides these  groups,  there  is  a  rich  lyric 
"  Moonlight ;  "  and  there  are  many  part  songs. 


196    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

A  work  of  considerable  importance  written 
many  years  before  and  presented  by  Franz 
Liszt  at  Weimar  had  its  first  American  pro- 
duction in  1 899,  at  Cincinnati  and  New  York. 
It  is  a  symphonic  prologue  to  Heine's  tragedy, 
"William  Ratcliff."  The  different  psycho- 
logical phases  of  the  tragedy  are  presented 
by  characteristic  motives  which  war  among 
themselves.  The  Scottish  locale  is  indicated 
vividly,  and  the  despair  of  the  lovers  pre- 
sented in  one  place  by  the  distortion  and 
rending  of  all  the  principal  motives.  A  dirge 
with  bells  and  a  final  musing  upon,  and  resig- 
nation before,  implacable  Fate  give  a  digni- 
fied close  to  a  work  in  which  passion  is 
exploited  with  erudition  and  modernity. 

W.    W.  Gilchrist. 

The  prize  competition  has  its  evils,  un- 
questionably ;  and,  in  a  place  of  settled 
status,  perhaps,  they  outnumber  its  benefits. 


The  Academics.  197 

But  in  American  music  it  has  been  of  mate- 
rial encouragement  to  the  production  of  large 
works.  In  the  first  place,  those  who  do  not 
win  have  been  stimulated  to  action,  and  have 
at  least  their  effort  for  their  pains.  In  the 
second  place,  those  who  manage  to  win  are 
several  hundred  dollars  the  richer,  and  may 
offer  the  wolf  at  the  door  a  more  effective 
bribe  than  empty-stomached  song. 

In  the  city  of  Philadelphia  lives  a  compo- 
ser of  unusual  luck  in  prize-winning.  That 
large  and  ancient  town  is  not  noteworthy  for 
its  activity  in  the  manufacture  of  original 
music.  In  fact,  some  one  has  spoken  of  it 
as  "a  town  where  the  greatest  reproach  to 
a  musician  is  residence  there."  The  city's 
one  prominent  music-writer  is  William  Wal- 
lace Gilchrist ;  but  he  stands  among  the  first 
of  our  composers.  He  is  especially  interest- 
ing as  a  purely  native  product,  having  never 
studied  abroad,  and  yet  having  won  among 
our  composers  a  foremost  place  in  the  larger 


198    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

forms  of  composition.  He  was  born  in  Jersey 
City,  January  8,  1846;  his  father  was  a 
Canadian,  his  mother  a  native  of  this  coun- 
try ;  both  were  skilled  in  music,  and  his 
home  life  was  full  of  it,  especially  of  the  old 
church  music.  After  a  youth  of  the  usual 
school  life  he  tried  various  pursuits,  —  pho- 
tography, law,  business ;  but  music  kept 
calling  him.  A  good  barytone  voice  led  him 
to  join  vocal  societies,  and  at  length  he  made 
music  his  profession,  after  studying  voice, 
organ,  and  composition  with  Dr.  H.  A. 
Clarke,  of  Philadelphia.  He  was  a  success- 
ful soloist  in  oratorio  for  some  years,  but 
gradually  devoted  himself  to  church  work 
and  conducting,  and  to  composition,  though 
none  of  his  music  was  published  till  he  was 
thirty-two,  when  he  took  two  prizes  offered 
by  the  Abt  Male  Singing  Society  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

Shortly  after  taking  the  Abt  Society  prize, 
he  won  three   offered    by  the   Mendelssohn 


The  Academics.  199 

Glee  Club  of  New  York,  and  in  1884  he  took 
the  ^1,000  prize  offered  by  the  Cincinnati 
Festival  Association. 

This  last  was  gained  by  his  setting  of  the 
Forty-sixth  Psalm  for  soprano  solo,  chorus, 
and  orchestra.  The  overture  opens  with  a 
noble  adante  contemplatif,  which  deserves  its 
epithet,  but  falls  after  a  time  into  rather  un- 
interesting moods,  whence  it  breaks  only  at 
the  last  period.  The  opening  chorus,  "  God 
Is  Our  Refuge  and  Strength,"  seems  to  me 
to  be  built  on  a  rather  trite  and  empty  sub- 
ject, which  it  plays  battledore  and  shuttle- 
cock with  in  the  brave  old  pompous  and 
canonic  style,  which  stands  for  little  beyond 
science  and  labor.  It  is  only  fair  to  say, 
however,  that  A.  J.  Goodrich,  in  his  "Musi- 
cal Analysis,"  praises  "the  strength  and 
dignity  "  of  this  chorus  ;  and  gives  a  minute 
analysis  of  the  whole  work  with  liberal  the- 
matic quotation.  The  psalm,  as  a  whole, 
though   built  on  old  lines,  is  built  well    on 


200    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

those  lines,  and  the  solo  "  God  Is  in  the 
Midst  of  Her "  is  taken  up  with  especially 
fine  effect  by  the  chorus.  "The  Heathen 
Raged"  is  a  most  ingeniously  complicated 
chorus  also. 

The  cantata,  "  Prayer  and  Praise,"  is  simi- 
larly conventional,  and  suffers  from  the  sin  of 
repetition,  but  contains  much  that  is  strong. 

Of  the  three  prize  male  choruses  written 
for  the  Mendelssohn  Glee  Club,  the  "  Ode 
to  the  Sun  "  is  the  least  successful.  It  is 
written  to  the  bombast  of  Mrs.  Hemans,  and 
is  fittingly  hysterical  ;  occasionally  it  fairly 
shrieks  itself  out.  "  In  Autumn  "  is  quieter  ; 
a  sombre  work  with  a  fine  outburst  at  the 
end.  "  The  Journey  of  Life  "  is  an  andante 
misterioso  that  catches  the  gloom  of  Bryant's 
verse,  and  offers  a  good  play  for  that  art  of 
interweaving  voices  in  which  Gilchrist  is  an 
adept. 

"The  Uplifted  Gates"  is  a  chorus  for 
mixed   voices    with    solos  for  sopranos   and 


The  Academics.  20 1 

altos  ;  it  is  elaborate,  warm,  and  brilliant.  In 
lighter  tone  are  the  "  Spring  Song,"  a  trio 
with  cheap  words,  but  bright  music  and  a 
rich  ending,  and  "  The  Sea  Fairies,"  a  chorus 
of  delightful  delicacy  for  women's  voices.  It 
has  a  piano  accompaniment  for  four  hands. 
In  this  same  difficult  medium  of  women's 
voices  is  "The  Fountain,"  a  surpassingly 
beautiful  work,  graceful  and  silvery  as  a  cas- 
cade. It  reminds  one,  not  by  its  manner  at 
all,  but  by  its  success,  of  that  supreme 
achievement,  Wagner's  song  of  the  "Rhine- 
maidens."  The  piano  accompaniment  to 
Gilchrist's  chorus  aids  the  general  picture. 

A  thoroughly  charming  work  is  the  setting 
of  Lowell's  poem,  "The  Rose,"  for  solos  and 
chorus.  The  dreariness  of  the  lonely  poet 
and  the  lonely  maid  contrasts  strongly  with 
the  rapture  of  their  meeting.  As  the  first 
half  of  the  poem  is  morose  yet  melodious,  the 
latter  is  bright  with  ecstasy ;  the  ending  is 
of  the  deepest  tenderness. 


202    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

By  all  odds  the  best  of  these  choruses,  how- 
ever, is  "  The  Legend  of  the  Bended  Bow," 
a  fine  war-chant  by  Mrs.  Hemans.  Tradi- 
tion tells  that  in  ancient  Britain  the  people 
were  summoned  to  war  by  messengers  who 
carried  a  bended  bow  ;  the  poem  tells  of  the 
various  patriots  approached.  The  reaper  is 
bidden  to  leave  his  standing  corn,  the  hunts- 
man to  turn  from  the  chase  ;  the  chieftain,  the 
prince,  mothers,  sisters,  sweethearts,  and  the 
bards  are  all  approached  and  counselled  to 
bravery.  After  each  episode  follow  the  words 
"  And  the  bow  passed  on,"  but  the  music 
has  been  so  well  managed  that  the  danger  of 
such  a  repetition  is  turned  into  grim  force. 
The  only  prelude  is  five  great  blasts  of  the 
horns.  A  brawny  vigor  is  got  by  a  frequent 
use  of  imitation  and  unison  in  the  voices. 
The  choric  work  is  marked  throughout  with 
the  most  intense  and  epic  power,  almost 
savagery;  a  magnificent  martial  zest.  The 
climax    is     big.       It    is    certainly    one    of 


The  Academics.  203 

the  best  things  of  its  kind  ever  done  over 
here. 

Another  work  of  fine  quality  throughout 
is  "A  Christmas  Idyl,"  for  solos,  chorus,  and 
orchestra.  A  terrible  sombreness  is  achieved 
in  its  former  half  by  a  notable  simplicity. 
The  latter  part  is  in  brighter  tone ;  the  solo, 
"  And  Thou,  Bethlehem,"  is  especially  exult- 
ant. In  manuscript  is  "An  Easter  Idyl,"  of 
large  proportions,  for  solos,  chorus,  and  or- 
chestra, or  organ. 

In  the  single  songs  the  influence  of  Gil- 
christ's early  training  in  hymns  is  patent.  In 
only  a  few  instances  do  they  follow  the  latter- 
day  methods  of  Schumann  and  Franz.  "A 
Song  of  Doubt  and  a  Song  of  Faith  "  is  pos- 
sibly his  best  vocal  solo.  It  begins  with  a 
plaint,  that  is  full  of  cynic  despair ;  thence 
it  breaks  suddenly  into  a  cheerful  andante. 
"  The  Two  Villages "  is  a  strong  piece  of 
work  on  the  conventional  lines  of  what  might 
be  called  the  Sunday  ballad.     "  A  Dirge  for 


204    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Summer  "  has  a  marked  originality,  and  is  of 
that  deep  brooding  which  is  particularly  con- 
genial to  Gilchrist's  muse.  The  Scotch  songs 
are  charming :  "  My  Heart  is  Sair  "  is  full  of 
fine  feeling,  and  must  be  classed  among  the 
very  best  of  the  many  settings  of  this  lyric 
of  Burns'. 

Most  modern  in  feeling  of  all  Gilchrist's 
vocal  solos  is  the  group  of  "  Eight  Songs." 
They  interpret  the  text  faithfully  and  the 
accompaniment  is  in  accord  \yith  the  song, 
but  yet  possessed  of  its  own  individuality. 
"  A  Love  Song "  is  tender  and  has  a  well- 
woven  accompaniment  ;  "  The  Voice  of  the 
Sea  "  is  effective,  but  hardly  attains  the  large 
simplicity  of  Aldrich'  poem  ;  "  Autumn " 
is  exquisitely  cheery ;  "  Goldenrod "  is  or- 
nately graceful,  while  "The  Dear  Long 
Ago "  is  quaint ;  "  Lullaby "  is  of  an  ex- 
quisitely novel  rhythm  in  this  overworked 
form. 

There  is  much  contrast  between  the  light- 


The  Academics. 


205 


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A   FRAGMENT. 


2o6   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

ness  of  his  book,  "  Songs  for  the  Children," 
and  his  ponderous  setting  of  Kipling's  "  Re- 
cessional." The  treatment  of  Paul  Laurence 
Dunbar's  "  Southern  Lullaby "  is  unusual, 
and  the  songs,  "  My  Ladye  "  and  "  The  Ideal," 
both  in  MS.,  are  noteworthy. 

Gilchrist  has  written  a  vast  amount  of 
religious  music,  including  several  "Te 
Deums,"  of  which  the  one  in  C  and  that  in 
A  flat  are  the  best,  to  my  thinking.  He  has 
written  little  for  the  piano  except  a  series  of 
duets,  of  which  the  charming  "  M61odie  "  and 
the  fetching  "  Styrienne  "  are  the  best. 

It  is  by  his  orchestral  works,  however,  that 
he  gains  the  highest  consideration.  These 
include  a  symphony  for  full  orchestra,  which 
has  been  frequently  performed  with  success ; 
a  suite  for  orchestra ;  a  suite  for  piano  and 
orchestra ;  as  well  as  a  nonet,  a  quintet,  and 
a  trio,  for  strings  and  wind.  None  of  these 
have  been  published,  but  I  have  had  the  privi- 
lege of  examining  some  of  the  manuscripts. 


The  Academics.  207 

The  spirit  and  the  treatment  of  these 
works  is  strongly  classical.  While  the 
orchestration  is  scholarly  and  mellow,  it 
is  not  in  the  least  Wagnerian,  either  in 
manipulation  or  in  lusciousness.  The  sym- 
phony is  not  at  all  programmatic.  The 
Scherzo  is  of  most  exuberant  gaiety.  Its 
accentuation  is  much  like  that  in  Beethoven's 
piano  sonata  (op.  14,  No.  2).  Imitation  is 
liberally  used  in  the  scoring,  with  a  delight- 
fully comic  effect  as  of  an  altercation.  The 
symphony  ends  with  a  dashing  finale  that  is 
stormy  with  cheer.  Gilchrist  is  at  work  upon 
a  second  symphony  of  more  modernity. 

The  "  Nonet "  is  in  G  minor,  and  begins 
with  an  Allegro  in  which  a  most  original  and 
and  severe  subject  is  developed  with  infinite 
grace  and  an  unusually  rich  color.  The 
Andante  is  religioso,  and  is  fervent  rather 
than  sombre.  The  ending  is  especially 
beautiful.  A  sprightly  Scherzo  follows.  It 
is  most  ingeniously  contrived,  and  the  effects 


20 8    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

are  divided  with  unusual  impartiality  among 
the  instruments.  A  curious  and  elaborate 
allegro  molto  furnishes  the  finale,  and  ends 
the  "  Nonet "  surprisingly  with  an  abrupt 
major  chord. 

The  opening  Allegro  of  the  "Quintet" 
begins  with  a  'cello  solo  of  scherzesque 
quality,  but  as  the  other  voices  join  in,  it 
takes  on  a  more  passionate  tone,  whence  it 
works  into  rapturously  beautiful  moods  and 
ends  magnificently.  The  piano  part  has  a 
strong  value,  and  even  where  it  merely  orna- 
ments the  theme  carried  by  the  strings,  it  is 
fascinating.  The  Scherzo  is  again  of  the 
Beethoven  order  in  its  contagious  comicality. 
The  piano  has  the  lion's  share  of  it  at  first, 
but  toward  the  last  the  other  instruments 
leave  off  embroidery  and  take  to  cracking 
jokes  for  themselves.  The  Andante  is  a 
genuinely  fine  piece  of  work.  It  ranges  from 
melting  tenderness  to  impassioned  rage  and 
a  purified  nobility.     The  piano  part  is  highly 


The  Academics.  209 

elaborated,  but  the  other  instruments  have 
a  scholarly,  a  vocal,  individuality.  I  was 
shocked  to  see  a  cadenza  for  the  piano  just 
before  the  close,  but  its  tender  brilliance  was 
in  thorough  accord  with  the  sincerity  of  the 
movement.  The  "Quintet"  ends  with  a 
splendid  i^llegro. 

In  MS.  are  three  interesting  works  for  the 
violin,  a  Rhapsody,  a  Perpetual  Motion,  and  a 
Fantasie. 

This  last  has  a  piano  accompaniment  of 
much  ingenuity.  The  fantasial  nature  of  the 
work  lies  principally  in  its  development, 
which  is  remarkably  lyrical,  various  melo- 
dies being  built  up  beautifully  on  fractions 
of  the  main  subjects.  There  is  nothing 
perfunctory,  and  the  work  is  full  of  art  and 
appeal.  Gilchrist  is  one  of  our  most  polished 
composers  contrapuntally,  but  has  been  here 
in  a  very  lyric  mood. 

He  is  the  founder  and  conductor  of  the 
Mendelssohn    Club   of    Philadelphia,    an   un- 


210  Contemporary  American  Composers. 

usually  effective  organization;  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  local  Manuscript  Club ; 
the  conductor  of  a  choral  society  of  two 
hundred  voices,  at  Harrisburg,  and  the 
director  of  two  church  choirs. 


G.  W.  Chadwick. 


One  of  the  most  sophisticated,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  most  eclectic  of  native  music- 
makers,  is  George  W.  Chadwick,  to  whom 
the  general  consent  of  authorities  would 
grant  a  place  among  the  very  foremost  of 
the   foremost    American   composers. 

His  reputation  rests  chiefly  on  his  two 
symphonies,  a  number  of  concert  overtures, 
and    many  pieces    of    chamber-music,  which 


The  Academics.  21 1 

are  much  praised.  Chadwick  was  born  at 
Lowell,  Mass.,  November  13,  1854.  His 
parents  were  American,  and  it  was  not  till 
1877,  after  studying  with  Eugene  Thayer  in 
Boston,  and  teaching  music  in  the  college  at 
Olivet,  Mich.,  that  Chadwick  studied  for  two 
years  at  Leipzig,  under  Jadassohn  and  Rei- 
necke,  and  later  at  Munich  for  a  year  under 
Rheinberger.  In  1 880  he  returned  to  America 
and  settled  in  Boston,  where  he  has  since 
lived,  as  organist,  teacher,  and  conductor,  an 
important  figure  in  the  town's  musical  life. 

Among  his  few  works  for  the  piano,  are 
"Six  Characteristic  Pieces"  (op.  7).  The 
"  Reminiscence  of  Chopin "  is  an  interest- 
ing and  skilful  chain  of  partial  themes  and 
suggestions  from  Chopin.  The  "  fitude  "  is  a 
monotonous  study  in  a  somewhat  Schumann- 
esque  manner,  with  a  graceful  finish.  The 
"Congratulation"  is  a  cheerful  bagatelle; 
the  "  Irish  Melody "  is  sturdy,  simple,  and 
fetching ;    but    the    "  Scherzino "  is   a  hard 


2  12    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

bit  of  humor  with  Beethoven  mannerisms 
lacking  all  the  master's  unction. 

The  opus  ends  with  an  unfortunate  com- 
position inexcusably  titled  "  Please  Do  !  " 

There  are  two  bright  "  Caprices "  and 
three  excellent  waltzes,  of  which  the  third 
is  the  best.  It  is  a  dreamy,  tender  work  on 
a  theme  by  "  B.  J.  L.,"  which  refers,  I  pre- 
sume, to  Mr.  B.  J.  Lang. 

Chadwick  has  done  a  vast  amount  of  part- 
song  writing.  His  "Lovely  Rosabelle"  is 
for  chorus  and  orchestra,  and  is  marked  with 
many  original  effects.  His  "  Reiterlied  "  is 
superbly  joyful.  A  setting  of  Lewis  Carroll's 
immortal  "  Jabberwocky "  shows  much  rich 
humor  of  the  college  glee-club  sort.  There 
is  an  irresistibly  humorous  episode  where 
the  instrument  of  destruction  goes  "snicker 
snack,"  and  a  fine  hilarity  at 

"  '  O  frabjous  day 
Callooh,  callay,' 
He  chortled  in  his  joy." 


The  Academics.  213 

What  would  part-song  writers  do  if  the 
Vikings  had  never  been  invented  ?  Where 
would  they  get  their  wild  choruses  for  men, 
with  a  prize  to  the  singer  that  makes  the 
most  noise  ?  Chadwick  falls  into  line  with 
"The  Viking's  Last  Voyage"  (1881),  for 
barytone  solo,  male  chorus,  and  orchestra, 
which  gives  him  a  very  high  place  among 
writers  in  this  form.  He  has  also  a  robus- 
tious "  Song  of  the  Viking,"  and  an  excellent 
Dedication  Ode  (1884),  for  solo,  chorus,  and 
orchestra,  to  the  pregnant  words  of  Rev. 
H.  B.  Carpenter,  besides  two  cantatas  for 
mixed  voices,  "  Phoenix  Expirans  "  and  "  The 
Pilgrims."  In  1889  was  published  his 
"  Lovely  Rosabelle,"  a  ballad  for  chorus 
and  orchestra  ;  it  contains  some  interest- 
ing dissonantial  work  in  the  storm-pas- 
sages. And  his  comic  opera,  "Tabasco," 
must  be  mentioned,  as  well  as  an  enor- 
mous mass  of  sacred  music,  which,  I  con- 
fess,   I    had    not    the    patience    to    study. 


214    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

The  flesh  was  willing,  but  the  spirit  was 
weak. 

Among  Chadwick's  songs  is  a  volume  of 
Breton  melodies  harmonized  with  extreme 
simplicity.  Others  are  "  Gay  Little  Dande- 
lion," which  is  good  enough  of  its  everlasting 
flower-song  sort;  "In  Bygone  Days"  and 
"  Request,"  which,  aside  from  one  or  two 
flecks  of  art,  are  trashy  ;  and  two  childish 
namby-pambies,  "Adelaide"  and  "The  Mill." 
"A  Bonny  Curl"  catches  the  Scotch-ton 
faithfully. 

Chadwick  usually  succeeds,  however,  in 
catching  foreign  flavors.  His  "  Song  from 
the  Persian  "  is  one  of  his  best  works,  and 
possibly  the  very  best  is  his  "  Sorais*  Song," 
to  Rider  Haggard's  splendid  words.  It  has 
an  epic  power  and  a  wild  despair.  Up  to 
the  flippancy  of  its  last  measures,  it  is  quite 
inspired,  and  one  of  the  strongest  of  Amer- 
ican songs.  The  "Danza"  is  captiv?cing 
and    full    of    novelty.      "  Green    Grows    the 


The  Academics.  215 

Willow"  is  a  burden  of  charming  pathos 
and  quaintness,  though  principally  a  study 
in  theme-management.  '•  Allah,"  however, 
is  rather  Ethiopian  than  Mahommedan,  His 
"  Bedouin  Love  Song "  has  little  Oriental 
color,  but  is  full  of  rush  and  fire,  with  a 
superb  ending.  It  is  the  best  of  the  count- 
less settings  of  this  song.  I  wish  I  could 
say  the  same  of  his  "Thou  Art  so  Like  a 
Flower,"  but  he  has  missed  the  intense  re- 
pression of  Heine. 

The  "  Serenade "  displays  an  interesting 
rhythm  ;  "  The  Miller's  Daughter  "  is  ten- 
der, and  "  A  Warning  "  is  delightfully  witty. 
One  regrets,  however,  that  its  best  points 
were  previously  used  in  Schumann's  perfect 
folk-song,  "Wenn  ich  friih  in  den  Garten 
geh'."  Chadwick  has  two  folk-songs  of  his 
own,  however,  which  are  superb.  "  He 
Loves  Me  "  is  a  tender,  cradle-song-like  bit 
of  delicious  color.  The  "  Lullaby "  is  a 
genuinely  interesting    study    in     this    over- 


2i6    Contemporary  American  Composers, 


To  Hra.  G.  RStodiari. 
TWO  FOLK  SONGS. 

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Copyright,  1892,  by  Arthur  P.  Schmidt. 


The  Academics. 


217 


2i8     Contemporary  American  Composers, 

worked  form.  "The  Lily"  has  the  passion- 
ate lyricism  of  Chaminade,  and  "  Sweet  Wind 
that  Blows  "  is  a  fine  frenzy.  The  "  Noc- 
turne "  is  dainty  and  has  its  one  good  climax. 
"  Before  the  Dawn  "  has  some  of  Chadwick's 
best  work ;  it  is  especially  marked  by  a  dar- 
ing harmonic  —  you  might  say  —  impaste. 

His  principal  works,  besides  those  men- 
tioned, may  be  catalogued  (I  am  unable  to 
do  more  than  catalogue  most  of  them,  hav- 
ing seen  only  one  of  them,  "  The  Lily 
Nymph,"  performed,  and  having  read  the 
score  of  only  the  "  Melpomene  "  overture)  : 
Concert  overtures,  "  Rip  Van  Winkle  "  (writ- 
ten in  Leipzig,  1879,  and  played  there  the 
same  year),  "Thalia"  (1883),  "Melpomene" 
(1887),  "The  Miller's  Daughter"  (1887),  and 
"Adonais"  (in  memory  of  a  friend,  1899); 
Symphonies,  in  C  (1882),  in  B  (1885);  an 
Andante  for  string  orchestra  (1884),  and 
numerous  pieces  of  chamber-music.  In  the 
case   of   the    cantata,   "  The    Lily    Nymph," 


The  Academics.  219 

Chadwick's  art  was  quite  futilized  by  the 
superb  inanities  of  the  book  he  used.  The 
"  Melpomene  "  is  a  work  of  infinitely  more 
specific  gravity.  It  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant of  American  orchestral  works. 

As  his  "Thalia"  was  an  "overture  to  an 
imaginary  comedy,"  so  this,  to  an  imaginary 
tragedy.  It  has  been  played  by  the  Boston 
Symphony  and  many  other  orchestras.  It 
has  that  definiteness  of  mood  with  that  in- 
definiteness  of  circumstance  in  which  music 
wins  its  most  dignified  prosperity. 

It  opens  with  the  solitary  voice  of  the  English 
horn,  which  gives  a  notable  pathos  (read  Berlioz  on 
this  despairful  elegist,  and  remember  its  haunting 
wail  in  the  last  act  of  "  Tristan  und  Isolde  ").  The 
woeful  plaint  of  this  voice  breathing  above  a  low 
sinister  roll  of  the  tympanum  establishes  at  once 
the  atmosphere  of  melancholy.  Other  instruments 
join  the  wail,  which  breaks  out  wildly  from  the 
whole  orchestra.  Over  a  waving  accompaniment 
of  clarinets,  the  other  wood-winds  strike  up  a  more 
lyric  and  hopeful  strain,  and  a  soliloquy  from  the 
'cello  ends  the    slow  introduction,   the  materials  of 


220    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

which  are  taken  from  the  two  principal  subjects  of 
the  overture,  which  is  built  on  the  classic  sonata 
formula.  The  first  subject  is  announced  by  the 
first  violins  against  the  full  orchestra ;  the  subsid- 
iary theme  is  given  to  the  flutes  and  oboes ;  after  a 
powerful  climax,  and  a  beautiful  subsidence  of  the 
storm  in  the  lower  strings,  the  second  subject  ap- 
pears in  the  relative  major  with  honeyed  lyricism. 
The  conclusion,  which  is  made  rather  elaborate  by 
the  latter-day  symphonists,  is  reduced  to  a  brief 
modulation  by  Mr.  Chadwick,  and  almost  before 
one  knows  it,  he  is  in  the  midst  of  the  elaboration. 
It  is  hard  to  say  whether  the  composer's  emotion 
or  his  counterpoint  is  given  freer  rein  here,  for  the 
work  is  remarkable  both  for  the  display  of  every 
technical  resource  and  for  the  irresistible  tempest 
of  its  passion.  In  the  reprise  there  is  a  climax  that 
thrills  one  even  as  he  tamely  reads  the  score,  and 
must  be  overpowering  in  actual  performance :  the 
cheerful  consolation  of  the  second  subject  provokes 
a  cyclonic  outburst  of  grief ;  there  is  a  furious  climax 
of  thrilling  flutes  and  violins  over  a  mad  blare  of 
brass,  the  while  the  cymbals  shiver  beneath  the  blows 
of  the  kettledrum-sticks.  An  abrupt  silence  pre- 
pares for  a  fierce  thunderous  clamor  from  the  tym- 
pani  and  the  great  drum  (beaten  with  the  sticks  of 
the  side-drum).     This  subsides  to  a  single  thud  of  a 


The  Academics. 


221 


kettledrum ;  there  is  another  eloquent  silence ;  the 
English  horn  returns  to  its  first  plaint ;  but  grief  has 
died  of  very  exercise,  and  the  work  ends  in  a  coda 
that  establishes  a  major  harmony  and  leaves  the 
hearer  with  a  heart  purged  white  and  clean. 

The  "  Melpomene  "  overture  is  a  work  of 
such  inspiration  and  such  scholarship  that  it 
must  surely  find  a  long  youth  in  the  chron- 
icle of  our  music. 


Arthur   Foote. 


The  nearest  approach  Americans  make  to 
the  enthusiastic  German  Mdnnerchor  is  in  the 
college  glee  clubs.  The  dignity  of  their  selec- 
tions is  not  always  up  to  that  of  the  Teutonic 
chorus,  but  they  develop  a  salutary  fondness 
for  color  and  shading,  exaggerating  both  a 


222   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

little  perhaps,  yet  aiming  at  the  right  warmth 
and  variety  withal.  Even  those  elaborate 
paraphrases  and  circumlocutions  of  Mother 
Goose  rhymes,  to  which  they  are  so  prone, 
show  a  striving  after  dramatic  effect  and  rich- 
ness of  harmony,  as  well  as  a  keen  sense  of 
wit  and  humor  that  are  by  no  means  in- 
compatible with  real  value  in  music. 

Among  their  other  good  deeds  must  be 
counted  the  fostering  of  the  musical  ambitions 
of  Arthur  Foote,  who  was  for  two  years  the 
leader  of  the  Glee  Club  of  Harvard  Univer- 
sity. Though  he  has  by  no  means  been 
content  to  delve  no  deeper  into  music  than 
glee-club  depths,  I  think  the  training  has  been 
of  value,  and  its  peculiar  character  is  patent 
in  his  works.  He  is  especially  fond  of  writing 
for  men's  voices,  and  is  remarkably  at  home 
in  their  management,  and  he  strives  rather  for 
color-masses  than  for  separate  individualities 
in  the  voices. 

Among  his  larger  works  for  men's  voices 


The  Academics.  223 

is  an  elaborate  setting  of  Longfellow's  poem, 
"The  Skeleton  in  Armor,"  which  is  full  of 
vigor  and  generally  sturdy  in  treatment, 
especially  in  its  descriptions  of  Viking  war 
and  seafaring.  The  storm-scenes,  as  in  Mr. 
Foote's  "Wreck  of  the  Hesperus,"  seem 
faintly  to  suggest  Wagnerian  -Donner  und 
Blitsen,  but  in  general  Mr.  Foote  has  resisted 
the  universal  tendency  to  copy  the  mannerisms 
so  many  take  to  be  the  real  essence  of  the 
Bayreuthian.  A  pretty  bit  of  fancy  is  the  use 
of  a  spinning-wheel  accompaniment  to  the 
love-song,  although  the  spindle  is  nowhere 
suggested  by  the  poem.  Indeed,  the  spinning 
is  treated  as  a  characteristic  motif  for  the 
Norseman's  bride,  somewhat  as  it  is  Senta's 
motif   in  "The  Flying  Dutchman." 

The  chief  fault  with  the  "  Skeleton  "  chorus 
is  that  it  is  always  choric.  There  are  no 
solos,  and  the  different  registers  are  never 
used  separately  for  more  than  a  bar  or  two, 
before  the  whole  mass  chimes  in.     Even  the 


224    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

instrumental  interludes  are  short,  and  the 
general  effect  must  be  rather  undiversified, 
one  of  sympathy,  too,  for  the  unrested  chorus, 

"  The  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus "  is  an 
ambitious  work,  built  on  large  lines,  but  hardly 
represents  Mr.  Foote  at  his  best.  It  is  for 
mixed  voices,  and  is  pitched  in  a  most  lugubri- 
ous key,  being  always  either  vociferous  with 
panic  or  dismal  with  minor  woe.  A  worse 
trouble  yet  is  the  attempt  to  make  a  short 
poem  fit  a  long  composition.  The  Procrustean 
operation  strains  even  Longfellow  sadly. 

This  blemish  is  lacking  in  "The  Farewell 
of  Hiawatha,"  which  is  written  for  men's 
voices.  Though  it,  too,  is  of  a  sad  tone,  its 
sombre  hues  are  rich  and  varied  as  a  tapestry. 
Its  effects,  though  potent,  seem  more  sincere 
and  less  labored.     It  is  altogether  noble. 

A  larger  body  of  sacred  music  for  mixed 
voices  than  many  other  Americans  can  boast, 
also  swells  Foote's  opus-score.  Here  he  shows 
the  same  facility  with  the  quartette  as  in  his 


The  Academics.  225 

other  works.  In  fact,  I  think  the  effect  of 
glee-club  training  on  his  young  mind  has 
strongly  influenced  his  whole  life-work.  And, 
by  the  way,  the  most  talented  of  all  the  great 
Sebastian  Bach's  twenty-one  children  —  every 
one  a  musical  opus,  too —  was  diverted  from 
the  philosopher's  career  for  which  he  was 
intended,  and  into  professional  musicianship, 
by  just  such  a  glee-club  training  in  the  uni- 
versities at  Leipzig  and  Frankfort. 

Almost  all  of  Foote's  compositions  are 
written  in  the  close  harmony  and  limited 
range  of  vocal  music,  and  he  very  rarely 
sweeps  the  keyboard  in  his  piano  composi- 
tions, or  hunts  out  startling  novelties  in 
strictly  pianistic  effect.  He  is  not  fond  of  the 
cloudy  regions  of  the  upper  notes,  and  though 
he  may  dart  brilliantly  skyward  now  and  then 
just  to  show  that  his  wings  are  good  for 
lighter  air,  he  is  soon  back  again,  drifting 
along  the  middle  ether. 

He  has  won  his  high  place  by  faithful  ad- 


226    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

herence  to  his  own  sober,  serene  ideals,  and 
by  his  genuine  culture  and  seriousness.  He 
is  thoroughly  American  by  birth  and  training, 
though  his  direct  English  descent  accounts 
for  his  decided  leaning  toward  the  better  im- 
pulses of  the  English  school  of  music.  He 
was  born  at  Salem,  Mass.,  March  5,  1853, 
and  though  he  played  the  piano  a  good  deal 
as  a  boy,  and  made  a  beginning  in  the  study 
of  composition  with  Emery,  he  did  not  study 
seriously  until  he  graduated  from  Harvard  in 
1874.  He  then  took  up  the  higher  branches 
of  composition  under  the  tuition  of  John 
Knowles  Paine,  and  obtained  in  1875  the 
degree  of  A.  M.  in  the  special  department  of 
music.  He  also  studied  the  organ  and  the 
piano  with  B.  J.  Lang  at  Boston,  and  has 
since  made  that  city  his  home,  teaching  and 
playing  the  organ. 

His  overture,  "  In  the  Mountains,"  has  been 
much  played  from  the  manuscript  by  or- 
chestras, among  them  the  Boston  Symphony, 


The  Academics,  227 

Besides  a  considerable  amount  of  highly 
valuable  contributions  to  American  chamber- 
music,  and  two  fine  piano  suites,  he  has 
written  a  great  many  piano  pieces  and  songs 
which  deserve  even  greater  popularity  than 
they  have  won,  because,  while  not  bristling 
with  technical  difficulties,  they  are  yet  of  per- 
manent worth. 

I  know  of  no  modern  composer  who  has 
come  nearer  to  relighting  the  fires  that  beam 
in  the  old  gavottes  and  fugues  and  preludes. 
His  two  gavottes  are  to  me  among  the  best 
since  Bach.  They  are  an  example  of  what  it 
is  to  be  academic  without  being  only  a-rattle 
with  dry  bones.  He  has  written  a  Nocturne 
that  gets  farther  from  being  a  mere  imitation 
of  Chopin  than  almost  any  night-piece  writ- 
ten since  the  Pole  appropriated  that  form 
bodily  from  John  Field  and  made  it  his 
own. 

One  of  his  most  original  pieces  is  the  Ca- 
priccio  of  his  D  minor  Suite,  which  is  also  un- 


228    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

usually  brilliant  in  color  at  times  ;  and  he  has 
an  Allegretto  that  is  a  scherzo  of  the  good  old 
whole-souled  humor.  Foote,  in  fact,  is  never 
sickly  in  sentiment. 

Of  his  rather  numerous  songs,  the  older 
English  poets,  like  Marlowe,  Sidney,  Shakes- 
peare, Suckling,  and  Herrick,  have  given  him 
much  inspiration.  The  song  "  It  Was  a  Lover 
and  his  Lass  "  is  especially  taking.  His  three 
songs,  "When  You  Become  a  Nun,  Dear," 
"  The  Road  to  Kew,"  and  "  Ho,  Pretty  Page  !  " 
written  by  modern  poets  in  a  half-archaic 
way,  display  a  most  delicious  fund  of  subtile 
and  ironic  musical  humor.  "The  Hawthorn 
Wins  the  Damask  Rose  "  shows  how  really 
fine  a  well  conducted  English  ballad  can  be. 
Among  his  sadder  songs,  the  "  Irish  Folk- 
song," "  I'm  Wearing  Awa',"  and  the  weird 
"  In  a  Bower  "  are  heavy  with  deepest  pathos, 
while  "  Sweet  Is  True  Love  "  is  as  wildly  in- 
tense and  as  haunting  in  its  woe  as  the  fate 
of  the  poor  Elaine,  whose  despair  it  sings. 


The  Academics.  229 

This  I  count  one  of  the  most  appealing  of 
modern  songs. 

His  greatest  work  is  undoubtedly  his  sym- 
phonic prologue  to  Dante's  story  of  "  Fran- 
cesca  da  Rimini,"  for  full  orchestra.  Without 
being  informed  upon  the  subject,  I  fancy  a 
certain  program  m  ism  in  the  prologue  that  is 
not  indicated  in  the  quotation  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  work : 

"  Nessun  maggior  dolore, 
Che  ricordarsi  del  tempo  felice 
Nella  miseria." 

The  prologue,  however,  seems  to  me  to 
contain  more  than  the  psychological  content 
of  these  lines  from  the  fifth  canto  of  the 
"  Inferno." 

The  slow  introduction  in  C  minor  begins  with  a 
long,  deep  sigh,  followed  by  a  downward  passage  in 
the  violas  and  'cellos  that  seems  to  indicate  the  steps 
that  bring  Dante  and  Vergil  down  to  the  edge  of  the 
precipice  past  which  the  cyclone  of  the  damned  rolls 
eternally.     There  is  some  shrieking  and  shuddering, 


230    Cotiteviporary  American  Composers. 


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232    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

and  ominous  thudding  of  the  tympani  (which  are 
tuned  to  unusual  notes),  then  follows  a  short  reci- 
tative which  might  represent  Dante's  query  to 
Francesca  how  she  came  to  yield  to  love.  Sud- 
denly out  of  the  swirling  strings  the  first  subject 
is  caught  up ;  it  is  a  frenzy  passionately  sung  by 
the  first  violins,  reenforced  by  the  flutes  at  the 
crises.  The  second  subject  appears  after  a  sudden 
prelude  by  the  brass ;  it  is  a  very  lyric  waltz-tune  in 
the  relative  major,  and  doubtless  depicts  the  joy 
recalled  in  sorrow.  The  conclusion  is  quite  lengthy ', 
it  is  also  in  waltz  form,  and  is  first  announced  by  a 
single  flute  over  the  violins  and  violas,  the  first  violins 
keeping  to  the  gloomy  G  string.  This  air  is  now 
given  to  a  solo  horn,  and  a  fierce  and  irresistible 
dance  fervor  is  worked  up.  The  elaboration  begins 
with  the  first  subject  in  F  sharp  minor,  caught  up 
fiercely  from  a  downward  rush.  The  reprise  is  not 
long  delayed,  and  the  second  subject  appears,  contrary 
to  custom,  in  the  tonic  major  instead  of  the  tonic 
minor.  The  coda  is  deliciously  tender  and  beautiful, 
possibly  because,  being  a  prologue,  the  work  must  pre- 
pare for  a  drama  that  begins  cheerfully;  possibly 
because  after  all  there  is  comfort  in  bliss  remembered 
in  sorrow. 

Tschalkowski    has    written    a    symphonic 
poem  on  the  same  subject,  which  has  been 


The  Academics.  233 

also  the  inspiration  of  numberless  dramas, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  pathetic  pages  in  all 
literature ;  even  the  stern  old  Dante  says  that 
when  he  heard  Francesca  tell  her  story  he 
almost  died  of  pity,  and  fell  to  the  ground  as 
one  dead. 

A  Serenade  for  string  orchestra  (op.  25) 
contains  a  Prelude,  a  tender  Air,  a  luscious 
Intermezzo  in  the  rich  key  of  B  major  with 
soli  for  violin  and  'cello,  a  Romance  with  a 
good  climax,  and  a  gallant  Gavotte  with 
special  attention  to  the  too  much  slighted 
violas. 

Opus  36  is  a  suite  for  full  orchestra.  It  has 
been  played  by  the  Boston  Symphony,  and 
consists  of  a  brilliant  Allegro  ;  an  Adagio  of 
deep  sincerity  and  beautifully  varied  color,  a 
period  wherein  the  brass  choir,  heavily  scored, 
chants  alone,  and  the  division  of  the  theme 
among  the  wood-wind  over  the  rushing  strings 
is  especially  effective  ;  a  very  whimsical  An- 
dante with  frequent  changes  of  tempo,  and 


2  34    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

soli  for  the  English  horn  in  antiphony  with 
the  first  oboe;  and  a  madcap  Presto  that 
whisks  itself  out  in  the  first  violins. 

Two  other  published  works  are  a  string 
quartette  (op.  4)  and  a  quintette  for  piano  and 
strings  (op.  36).  This  begins  in  A  minor  with 
a  well  woven  and  well  derived  set  of  themes, 
and  ends  in  a  scherzo  in  A  major  with  spin- 
ning-song characteristics.  Between  these  two 
movements  comes  an  intermezzo  of  strongly- 
marked  Scotch  tone.  This  has  been  per- 
formed by  the  Kneisel  Quartette. 

5.  G.  Pratt. 

Almost  every  musician  has  heard  of  Chris- 
topher Columbus,  and  holds  him  in  a  certain 
esteem  as  a  man  without  whose  push  the 
invention  of  America  would  have  been  long 
deferred  ;  but  few  American  musicians  have 
felt  under  a  sufficient  debt  of  gratitude  to 
make  his  troubles  and  triumphs  the  founda- 


The  Academics.  235 

tion  of  an  appropriate  musical  work,  Silas 
G.  Pratt  was  bold  enough  to  undertake  the 
monumental  task ;  and  he  expended  upon  it 
large  resources  of  scholarship,  research,  and 
enthusiasm.  The  work  was  performed  at 
New  York  during  the  Quadricentennial  of 
the  discovery  of  America. 

If  Pratt  had  been  born  in  old  Egypt,  he 
would  have  found  his  chief  diversion  in  the 
building  of  pyramids,  so  undismayed  is  he  by 
the  size  of  a  task.  His  patriotism  is  a  sharp 
spur  to  him,  and  has  enabled  him  to  write 
an  orchestral  composition  devoted  to  Paul 
Revere's  Ride ;  a  fantasy  descriptive  of  a 
battle  between  the  Northern  and  Southern 
armies  ;  "  The  Battle  of  Manila ; "  "  The  Anni- 
versary Overture,"  in  commemoration  of  the 
centennial  of  American  Independence,  per- 
formed in  Berlin  twice,  and  in  London  at  the 
Crystal  Palace,  during  Grant's  visit  there ; 
and  a  march  called  by  the  curious  name  of 
"  Homage  to  Chicago."    Besides  these  works 


236  Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Pratt  has  written  the  "■  Magdalen's  Lament," 
his  first  orchestral  composition,  suggested  by 
Murillo's  picture;  the  lyric  opera,  "Antonio  ;  " 
a  first  symphony,  of  which  the  adagio  was  per- 
formed in  Berlin,  the  other  movements  being 
produced  in  Boston  and  Chicago;  a  second 
symphony,  "The  Prodigal  Son;"  a  romantic 
opera,  "  Zenobia,"  produced  in  Chicago ;  a 
lyric  opera,  "  Lucille,"  which  ran  for  three 
weeks  in  Chicago  ;  a  symphonic  suite  based 
on  the  "  Tempest ; "  a  canon  for  a  string 
quartette ;  a  serenade  for  string  orchestra ; 
a  grotesque  suite,  "The  Brownies,"  produced 
in  New  York  and  at  Brighton  Beach  by 
Anton  Seidl.  Besides  these  works  of  musi- 
cal composition,  Pratt  has  delivered  various 
musical  lectures,  ingeniously  contrived  to 
entertain  the  great  public  and  at  the  same 
time  inform  it.  He  has  been  active  also  in 
the  organization  of  various  musical  enter- 
prises, among  them  the  Apollo  Club  of 
Chicago. 


The  Academics.  237 

Pratt  was  born  in  Addison,  Vermont, 
August  4,  1846.  At  the  age  of  twelve,  he 
was  thrown  on  his  own  resources,  and  con- 
nected himself  with  music  publishing  houses 
in  Chicago.  After  various  public  perform- 
ances, he  went  to  Germany  in  1868,  to  study 
the  piano  under  Bendel  and  Kullak,  and 
counterpoint  under  Kiel.  In  1872  he  re- 
turned to  Chicago  and  gave  a  concert  of  his 
own  works.  But  the  phoenix  city  had  not 
entirely  preened  its  wings  after  the  great 
fire  of  1 87 1,  and  Pratt  found  no  support 
for  his  ambitions.  After  teaching  and  giv- 
ing concerts,  he  returned  to  Germany  in 
1875,  where  he  attended  the  rehearsals 
of  Wagner's  Trilogy  at  Bayreuth,  met  Liszt 
here,  and  gave  a  recital  of  his  own  com- 
positions at  Weimar.  His  "  Anniversary 
Overture  "  was  cordially  received  by  the  press 
of  both  Berlin  and  London.  A  third  visit  to 
Europe  was  made  in  1885  for  the  production 
of  the  "  Prodigal  Son  "  at  the  Crystal  Palace, 


238    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

on  the  occasion  of  which,  Berthold  Tours 
wrote  that  both  the  symphony  and  the 
"Anniversary  Overture"  were  "grandly  con- 
ceived works,  full  of  striking  originality, 
modern  harmony,  flowing  melody,  and  beau- 
tiful, as  well  as  imposing  effects." 

Activity  along  such  lines  has  left  Pratt 
little  time  for  the  smaller  forms  of  composi- 
tion ;  a  few  have  been  published,  among  them 
the  song,  "  Dream  Vision,"  in  which  Schu- 
mann's "Traumerei"  is  used  for  viohn  obbli- 
gato  ;  and  a  few  piano  pieces,  such  as  "  Six 
Soliloquies,"  with  poetic  text.  In  these  each 
chord  shows  careful  effort  at  color,  and  the 
work  is  chromatic  enough  to  convince  one 
that    he    has    studied    his    Bach    thoroughly. 

Among  his  massive  compositions  there 
are  two  that  seem  likely  to  win,  as  they 
surely  deserve,  a  long  life.  These  are  the 
symphonic  suite,  "  The  Tempest,"  and  the 
"Prodigal  Son."  To  the  latter  splendid 
achievement,  A.  J.  Goodrich  devotes  several 


The  Academics.  239 

pages  of  his  "  Musical  Analysis,"  to  which 
I  can  do  no  better  than  to  refer  the  reader. 
The  "  Tempest  "  is  based,  of  course,  on  Shake- 
speare's play,  and  is  described  as  follows  by 
the  composer  : 

"It  is  intended,  in  the  first  movement,  Adagio,  to 
typify  the  sorrow  of  Prospero,  and  his  soul's  protest 
against  the  ingratitude  and  persecution  of  his  ene- 
mies. His  willing  attendant  Ariel  is  briefly  indicated 
in  the  closing  measures.  The  Pastoral  furnishes  an 
atmosphere  or  stage  setting  for  the  lovers,  Miranda 
and  Ferdinand,  whose  responsive  love-song  follows 
the  droning  of  a  shepherd's  pipe  in  the  distance. 
Prospero's  interruption  to  their  passionate  assurances 
of  devotion,  and  the  imposition  of  the  unpleasant 
task,  are  briefly  touched  upon,  and  the  movement 
closes  with  a  repeat  of  the  pastoral,  and  alternate 
reiteration  of  the  lover's  song.  The  Finale,  after  a 
short  introduction,  in  most  sombre  vein,  indicates 
the  flitting  about  of  Ariel  and  his  companion  sprites 
as  they  gather  for  revelry.  The  presence  of  the 
master  is  soon  made  apparent  by  the  recurrence,  in  a 
subdued  manner,  of  Prospero's  first  theme  from  the 
Adagio,  the  fantastic  tripping  of  the  elves  continuing, 
as  though  the  controlling  spirit  were  conjuring  up  the 
fete  for  the  amusement  of  the  lovers  and  himself. 


240   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

«' '  Ye  elves  of  hills,  brooks,  standing  lakes  and 
groves ; 
And  ye  that  on  the  sand,  with  printless  foot 
Do  chase  the  ebbing  Neptune,  and  do  fly  him 
When  he  comes  back.' 

"  The  dance  then  begins,  and  continues  in  a  fan- 
tastic, at  times  grotesque  and  furious  manner,  the 
theme  of  the  lovers  being  interwoven  at  times,  in  an 
unobtrusive  way.  At  length,  Caliban  is  heard  ap- 
proaching, singing  his  drunken  song. 

" » 'Ban,  'Ban,  Ca-caliban 

Has  a  new  master :  get  a  new  man.' 

"Ariel  and  his  companions  flit  about,  ridiculing, 
mocking,  and  laughing  at  him ;  eventually  prodding 
and  pinching  him  until,  shivering,  with  aching  joints, 
he  staggers  away.  The  revelry  then  continues,  the 
song  of  the  lovers  becoming  more  and  more  prom- 
inent until,  somewhat  broadened  out,  it  asserts  it- 
self triumphantly  above  all,  Ariel  and  his  companions 
flitting  about,  Prospero  happy,  and  Caliban  subju- 
gated, all  the  chief  themes  being  united  to  form  the 
climax  and  close  of  the  work." 

Although  Pratt  intentionally  omitted  the 
English  horn  and  the  bass  clarinet,  the  scor- 
ing is  remarkable  for  its   color   and    faery. 


f 


N 


HENRY    K.    HADLEY. 


The  Academics.  241 

The  work  is  highly  lyrical  in  effect,  and  the 
woodsiness  is  beautifully  established.  The 
solemnity  of  Prospero,  the  adroitness  of  the 
lovers  and  the  contrasting  natures  of  the  vola- 
tile Ariel  and  the  sprawling  Caliban,  make  up 
a  cast  of  characters  in  the  development  of 
which  music  is  peculiarly  competent.  The 
stertorous  monologue  of  Caliban  and  his 
hobbling  dance,  and  the  taunting  and  pinch- 
ing torment  he  is  submitted  to,  make  excel- 
lent humor. 


Henry  K.  Hadley. 

The  word  symphony  has  a  terrifying  sound, 
particularly  when  it  is  applied  to  a  modern 
work ;  for  latter-day  music  is  essentially 
romantic  in  nature,  and  it  is  only  a  very  rare 
composer  that  has  the  inclination  or  the 
ability  to  force  the  classic  form  to  meet  his 
new  ideas.  The  result  is  that  such  a  work 
usually  lacks    spontaneity,  conviction.     The 


242    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

modern  writer  does  much  better  with  the 
symphonic  poem. 

The  number  of  American  symphonies 
worth  listening  to,  could  be  counted  on  the 
fingers  with  several  ^igits  to  spare.  A  new 
finger  has  been  preempted  by  Henry  K. 
Hadley's  symphony  called  "  Youth  and 
Life."  The  title  is  doubly  happy.  Psycho- 
logically it  is  a  study  of  the  intense  emotional 
life  of  youth,  written  by  an  American  youth, 
—  a  young  man  who,  by  the  way,  strangely 
reminds  one,  in  his  appearance,  of  Mac- 
monnies'  American  type,  as  represented  by 
his  ideal  statue  of  Nathan  Hale. 

And  musically  the  work  is  imbued  with 
both  youth  and  life.  It  has  blood  and  heart 
in  it.  The  first  movement  is  a  conflict  be- 
tween good  and  evil  motives  struggling  like 
the  mediaeval  angels  for  the  soul  of  the  hero. 
The  better  power  wins  triumphantly.  The 
second  movement,  however,  shows  doubt 
and  despair,  remorse  and  deep  spiritual  de- 


The  Academics.  243 

pression.  The  climax  of  this  feeling  is  a 
death-knell,  which,  smitten  softly,  gives  an 
indescribably  dismal  effect,  and  thrills  with- 
out starting.  Angelus  bells  in  pedal-point 
continue  through  a  period  of  hope  and  prayer  ; 
but  remorse  again  takes  sway.  The  ability 
to  obtain  this  fine  solemnity,  and  follow  it 
with  a  scherzo  of  extraordinary  gaiety,  proves 
that  a  genius  is  at  large  among  us.  The 
Scherzo  displays  a  thigh-slapping,  song-sing- 
ing abandon  that  typifies  youthful  frivolity 
fascinatingly.  A  fugue  is  used  incidentally 
with  a  burlesque  effect  that  reminds  one  of 
Berlioz'  "  Amen  "  parody  in  the  "  Damna- 
tion of  Faust."  The  Finale  exploits  motives 
of  ambition  and  heroism,  with  a  moment  of 
love.  The  climax  is  vigorous.  Without 
being  at  all  ariose,  the  symphony  is  full  of 
melody.  Its  melodies  are  not  counterpoint, 
but  expression  ;  and  each  instrument  or  choir 
of  instruments  is  an  individuality. 

Hadley  is  galvanic  with  energy  and  opti- 


244   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

mism,  dextrous  to  a  remarkable  degree  in  the 
mechanism  of  composition.  His  scoring  is 
mature,  fervent,  and  certain.  His  symphony 
is  legitimately  programmatic  and  alive  with 
brains,  biceps,  and  blood,  —  all  three,  ^ — the 
three  great  B's  of  composition. 

Hadley  was  born  at  Somerville,  Mass.,  in 
187 1.  His  father  was  a  teacher  of  music 
and  gave  him  immediate  advantages.  He 
studied  harmony  with  Stephen  A.  Emery, 
counterpoint  with  G.  W.  Chadwick,  and  the 
violin  with  Henry  Heindl  and  Charles  N. 
Allen  of  Boston.  Before  attaining  his  major- 
ity, he  had  completed  a  dramatic  overture, 
a  string  quartette,  a  trio,  and  many  songs 
and  choruses.  In  1894  he  went  to  Vienna 
and  studied  composition  with  Mandyczewski. 
Here  he  composed  his  third  suite  for  the 
orchestra.  In  1 896  he  returned  to  America 
and  took  charge  of  the  music  department  of 
St.  Paul's  school  at  Garden  City,  L.  I.  He 
has   had    some   experience    as    a    conductor 


The  Academics.  245 

and  has  been  very  prolific  in  composition. 
His  first  symphony  was  produced  under  the 
direction  of  Anton  Seidl,  in  December,  1897  ; 
and  at  a  concert  of  his  own  compositions, 
again,  in  January,  1900,  Hadley  conducted 
this  symphony,  and  also  two  movements  from 
his  second  symphony,  "The Seasons."  These 
two  movements  show  a  mellower  technic, 
perhaps,  but  are  less  vital.  He  has  written 
three  ballet  suites  with  pronounced  success, 
the  work  being  musical  and  yet  full  of  the 
ecstasy  of  the  dance.  His  third  ballet  suite, 
which  is  the  best,  was  produced  at  a  concert 
of  the  American  Symphony  Orchestra,  under 
Sam  Franko. 

The  existence  of  a  festival  march,  a  con- 
cert overture,  "  Hector  and  Andromache," 
two  comic  operas,  and  six  songs  for  chorus 
and  orchestra,  besides  a  number  of  part  songs 
and  piano  pieces,  and  over  one  hundred  songs, 
forty  of  which  are  published,  gives  proof  of 
the  restless  energy  of  the  man.     The  high 


246    Contemporary  American  Composers, 

average  of  scholarship  is  a  proof  of  his  right 
to  serious  acceptance. 

A  cantata  for  orchestra,  "  Lelewala,"  a 
legend  of  Niagara,  is  published  for  piano 
accompaniment.  Now,  Niagara  is  a  dangerous 
subject  for  the  frail  skiffs  of  rhyme,  prose,  or 
music  to  launch  out  upon.  Barrel  staves  may 
carry  one  through  the  whirlpool,  but  music 
staves  cannot  stand  the  stress.  Of  all  the 
comments  upon  the  Falls  of  Niagara  that  I 
have  ever  read,  or  heard  of,  there  has  been 
only  one  that  seemed  anything  but  ridicu- 
lously inappropriate  ;  that  one  was  the  tribute 
of  a  young  boy  who,  on  standing  face  to  face 
with  the  falls,  simply  exclaimed,  in  an  awe- 
smothered  whisper,  "  Well,  by  gosh  !  "  But  it 
must  be  admitted  that  these  words  would  baffle 
the  music-making  propensities  even  of  the 
composer  of  Handel's  "  Hallelujah  Chorus." 
That  learned  composer,  George  F.  Bristow, 
now  dead,  made  the  mistake  of  attempting  to 
compass  Niagara  in  a  work  for  chorus  and 


The  Academics.  247 

orchestra  Hadley  is  not  exactly  guilty  of  the 
same  fatal  attempt  in  his  "  Lelewala,"  for  the 
poem  is  chiefly  a  story  of  love  and  sacrifice;  but 
Niagara  comes  in  as  a  programmatic  incident, 
and  the  author  of  the  text  has  fallen  lament- 
ably short  of  his  subject  in  certain  instances. 
In  other  moments,  he  has  written  with  genu- 
ine charm,  and  the  music  has  much  that  is 
worth  while. 

Among  his  published  songs  are  to  be 
noted  the  unusually  good  setting  of  Heine's 
"  Wenn  ich  in  deine  Augen  seh'  "  and  of  his 
less  often  heard  "Sapphire  sind  die  Augen 
dein,"  and  "  Der  Schmetterling  ist  in  die 
Rose  verliebt."  A  deservedly  popular  work 
is  "  I  Plucked  a  Quill  from  Cupid's  Wing." 
Among  so  many  morose  or  school-bound 
composers,  Hadley  is  especially  important  for 
the  fact  that  he  is  thrilled  with  a  sane  and 
jubilant  music. 


248    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Adolph  M.  Foerster. 

It  has  been  fortunate  for  American  song 
that  it  forsook  the  narrow,  roystering  school 
of  Enghsh  ballad  and  took  for  its  national 
model  the  Lied  of  the  later  German  school. 
It  is  true  that  the  earlier  English  had  its 
poetry-respecting  music  in  the  work  of 
such  a  man  as  Henry  Lawes,  or  Purcell,  just 
as  it  had  its  composers  who  far  preceded 
Bach  in  the  key-roving  idea  of  the  "  Well- 
tempered  Clavier;"  but  that  spirit  died  out 
of  England,  and  found  its  latest  avatar  in 
such  men  as  Robert  Franz,  who  confessed 
that  he  had  his  first  and  fullest  recognition 
from  this  country. 

A  correspondence  with  Franz  was  carried 
on  for  eighteen  years  by  one  of  the  solidest 
of  American  composers,  Adolph  M.  Foerster, 
who  gives  distinction  to  the  musical  life  of 
Pittsburg.  He  knew  Franz  personally,  and  has 
written  an  important  appreciation  of  him  for 


The  Academics.  249 

the  magazine  Music.  Foerster  was  born  at 
Pittsburg  in  1854.  After  three  years  of 
commercial  life,  he  took  up  music  seriously, 
and  spent  the  years  from  1872  to  1875  at 
Leipzig,  —  studying  the  piano  under  Coccius 
and  Wenzel,  singing  under  Grill  and  Schimon, 
and  theory  under  E.  F.  Richter  and  Papperitz. 
Returning  to  America,  he  connected  himself 
with  the  Fort  Wayne  (Ind.)  Conservatory  of 
Music,  then  under  the  direction  of  the  benefi- 
cent inventor  of  the  Virgil  Clavier.  A  year 
later  he  returned  to  Pittsburg,  where  he  has 
since  remained.  For  awhile  he  was  con- 
ductor of  a  symphonic  society  and  a  choral 
union,  which  are  no  longer  extant.  Since,  he 
has  devoted  himself  to  teaching  and  com- 
position. 

Of  Foerster's  piano  compositions  opus  11 
is  a  "Valse  Brillante,"  warm  and  melodious. 
Opus  13  is  a  "Sonnet,"  based,  after  the  plan 
of  Liszt,  upon  a  lyric  of  Petrarch's,  a  beauti- 
ful translation   from   his  "  Gli  occhi  di  ch'io 


250    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

parlai  si  caldamente."  It  is  full  of  passion, 
and  shows  a  fine  variety  in  the  handling  of 
persistent  repetition.  Opus  18  couples  two 
sonatinas.  The  second  has  the  more  merit, 
but  both,  like  most  sonatinas,  are  too  triv- 
ial of  psychology  and  too  formal  even  to 
be  recommended  for  children's  exercises. 
"  Eros  "  is  a  fluent  melody,  with  a  scherzesque 
second  part. 

Opus  37  contains  two  concert  Etudes,  both 
superb  works.  The  first,  "  Exaltation,"  is 
very  original,  though  neither  the  beginning 
nor  the  ending  is  particularly  striking.  The 
music  between,  however,  has  a  fervor  that 
justifies  the  title.  This  6tude  is,  like  those 
of  Chopin,  at  the  same  time  a  technical  study 
and  a  mood.  The  second,  a  "  Lamentation," 
begins  with  a  most  sonorous  downward  har- 
mony, with  rushes  up  from  the  bass  like 
the  lessening  onsets  of  a  retreating  tide. 
Throughout,  the  harmonies  and  emotions  are 
remarkably  profound  and  the  climaxes  wild. 


The  Academics.  251 

I  should  call  it  one  of  the  best  modern  piano 
compositions. 

Twelve  "Fantasy  Pieces"  are  included  in 
opus  38.  They  are  short  tone-poems.  The 
second,  "Sylvan  Spirits,"  is  fascinating,  and 
"  Pretty  Marie"  has  an  irresistibly  gay  melody. 
He  has  dedicated  the  six  songs  of  opus  6  to 
Robert  Franz.  These  are  written  in  a  close 
unarpeggiated  style  chiefly,  but  they  are  very 
mteresting  in  their  pregnant  simplicity.  In 
two  cases  they  are  even  impressive  :  the  well- 
known  lyric,  "  Im  Rhein,  im  heiligen  Strome," 
and  "  Meeresstille."  Opus  12  is  a  notable 
group  of  three  songs:  "Mists"  is  superbly 
harmonious.  Opus  25  includes  "Ask  Thou 
Not  the  Heather  Gray,"  a  rhapsody  of  the 
utmost  ingenuity  in  melody  and  accompani- 
ment. It  has  a  catching  blissfulness  and  a 
verve  that  make  it  one  of  the  best  American 
songs.  Opus  28  is  a  book  called  "Among 
Flowers."  The  music  is  in  every  case  good, 
and  especially  satisfactory  in  its  emancipation 


252    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

from  the  Teutonism  of  Foerster's  earlier 
songs.  The  song  "  Among  the  Roses"  has  a 
beautiful  poem,  which  deserves  the  superb 
music.  It  ends  hauntingly  with  an  unre- 
solved major  ninth  chord  on  the  dominant  of 
the  dominant.  So  the  frenzy  of  "  In  Blossom 
Time"  is  emotion  of  a  human,  rather  than  a 
botanical  sort.  "  The  Cradle  Song  "  adapts 
the  Siegfried  Idyl,  and  the  "  Old  Proverb  "  is 
rolUcking.  The  two  songs  of  opus  34  are 
fitted  with  words  by  Byron.  The  three  songs 
of  opus  44  also  make  use  of  this  poet,  now  so 
little  m  vogue  with  composers.  There  are 
three  songs  in  opus  42  :  a  pathetic  "  Little 
Wild  Rose,"  and  "By  the  Seaside,"  which 
is  full  of  solemnity.  "  The  Shepherd's 
Lament "  is  one  of  his  best  lyrics,  with  a 
strange  accompaniment  containing  an  inverted 
pedal-point  in  octaves.  There  are  also  several 
part  songs. 

In  larger  forms,  Mr.  Foerster  is  even  more 
successful.     Opus  10  is  a  Character-piece  for 


The  Academics.  253 

full  orchestra,  based  on  Karl  Schafer's  poem, 
"Thusnelda."  It  is  short  but  vigorous,  and 
well  unified.  Opus  15  is  a  Fantasie  for 
violin  and  piano,  the  piano  having  really  the 
better  of  it.  The  treatment  is  very  original, 
and  the  strong  idea  well  preserved.  Opus  2 1 
is  a  Quartette  for  violin,  viola,  'cello,  and  piano. 
The  first  movement  begins  solemnly,  but 
breaks  into  an  appassionato.  All  four  instru- 
ments have  an  equal  voice  in  the  parley,  and 
all  the  outbursts  are  emotional  rather  than 
contrapuntal.  A  climax  of  tremendous 
power  is  attained.  The  second  movement 
omits  the  piano  for  a  beautiful  adagio.  The 
third  is  an  hilarious  allegro,  and  the  finale  is 
an  even  gayer  presto,  with  movements  of 
sudden  sobriety,  suddenly  swept  away. 
Foerster  calls  this  Quartette  "  far  inferior  "  to 
a  second  one,  opus  40.  This,  however,  I 
have  not  seen  ;  but  I  do  not  hesitate  to  call 
opus  2 1  a  masterly  work. 

Opus  24  is  an  "  Albumblatt  "  for  'cello  and 


2  54   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

piano.  It  is  a  wonder-work  of  feeling  and 
deep  richness  of  harmony,  of  absolute  sin- 
cerity and  inspiration.  Opus  29  is  a  Trio  for 
violin,  'cello,  and  piano.  The  three  begin  in 
unison,  andante,  whence  the  'cello  breaks 
away,  followed  soon  by  the  others,  into  the 
joviality  of  a  drinking  bout.  There  is  a  mili- 
tary moment,  a  lyric  of  more  seriousness,  and 
a  finish  agitato.  The  second  movement  is  a 
larghetto  highly  embroidered.  The  third 
movement  is  a  vivace  with  the  spirit  of  a 
Beethoven  presto. 

Opus  36  is  a  suite  for  violin  and  piano, 
beginning  with  a  most  engaging  and  most 
skilful  Novelette. 

In  MS.  are:  an  elaborate  ballad,  "Hero 
and  Leander,"  which,  in  spite  of  an  unworthy 
postlude  and  certain  "Tristan  und  Isolde" 
memories,  is  ardent  and  vivid  with  passion  ; 
"  Verzweifelung,"  which  is  bitter  and  wild 
with  despair ;  a  suite  for  piano  (op.  46)  con- 
taining a  waltz  as  ingenious  as  it   is  capti- 


The  Academics.  255 

vating ;  and  a  finale  called  "  Homage  to 
Brahms."  This  is  a  remarkably  clever  piece 
of  writing,  which,  while  it  lacks  the  Brahms- 
ian  trade-mark  of  thirds  in  the  bass,  has 
much  of  that  composer's  best  manner,  less 
in  his  tricks  of  speech  than  in  his  tireless 
development  and  his  substitution  of  monu- 
mental thematicism  for  lyric  emotion.  In 
MS.  is  also  a  prelude  to  Goethe's  "  Faust " 
for  full  orchestra.  It  has  very  definite  lead- 
ing motives,  which  include  "  Faust's  Medita- 
tions," "Visions  of  Margarethe,"  "Evil" 
and  "  Love  "  (almost  inversions  of  each  other), 
"  Mephistopheles,"  and  the  like.  The  strife 
of  these  elements  is  managed  with  great 
cleverness,  ending  beatifically  with  the  motive 
of  Gretchen  dying  away  in  the  wood-wind. 

An  orchestral  score  that  has  been  pub- 
lished is  the  Dedication  March  for  Carnegie 
Hall  in  Pittsburg.  It  begins  with  a  long 
fanfare  of  horns  heard  behind  the  scenes. 
Suddenly  enters  a  jubilant  theme  beginning 


256    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

with  Andrew  Carnegie's  initials,  a  worthy 
tribute  to  one  to  whom  American  music  owes 
much. 

Charles  Crozat  Converse. 

Musicians  are  not,  as  a  class,  prone  to 
a  various  erudition  (a  compliment  fully  re- 
turned by  the  learned  in  other  directions, 
who  are  almost  always  profoundly  ignorant 
of  the  actual  art  of  music).  One  of  the  rule- 
proving  exceptions  is  Charles  Crozat  Con- 
verse, who  has  delved  into  many  philosophies. 
An  example  of  his  versatility  of  interest  is 
his  coining  of  the  word  "  thon  "  (a  useful 
substitute  for  the  ubiquitous  awkwardness  of 
"he  or  she"  and  "his  or  her"),  which  has 
been  adopted   by  the  Standard    Dictionary. 

Converse'  ancestry  is  American  as  far 
back  as  1630.  Converse  was  bom  at  War- 
ren, Mass.,  October  7,  1832.  After  being 
well  grounded  in  English  and  the  classics, 
he    went,  in    1855,  to    Germany.     Here  he 


CHARLES  CROZAT  CONVERSE. 


The  Academics.  257 

studied  law  and  philosophy,  and  music  at 
the  Conservatorium  in  Leipzig.  He  enjoyed 
the  instruction  of  Richter,  Hauptmann, 
Plaidy,  and  Haupt,  and  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Liszt  and  Spohr.  Spohr  was  espe- 
cially interested  in,  and  influential  in,  his 
work,  and  confident  of  its  success. 

Returning  to  America,  he  graduated  from 
the  Law  Department  of  Albany  University 
in  i860,  with  the  degree  of  LL.B.  The  B 
has  since  been  dignified  into  a  D,  as  a  tribute 
to  his  unusual  accomplishments.  Converse 
declined  the  honor  of  a  Doctorship  of 
Music  from  the  University  of  Cambridge, 
offered  him  by  its  professor,  the  well-known 
English  composer,  Sterndale  Bennett,  in  rec- 
ognition of  his  mastery  of  lore  as  evinced  in 
a  five-voiced  double  fugue  that  ends  his 
Psalm-Cantata  on  the  126th  Psalm. 

This  scholarly  work  was  performed  under 
the  direction  of  Theodore  Thomas  in  1888, 
at  Chicago. 


258    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

A  widely  known  contribution  to  religious 
music  is  Converse'  hymn,   "What  a  Friend 
We  Have  in  Jesus,"  which  has  been  printed, 
so  they  say,  in  all  the  tongues  of  Christen- 
dom, and  sold  to  the  extent  of  fifty  millions 
of  copies.     This  tune  occupied  a  warm  place 
in    my   Sunday-schoolboy  heart,   along  with 
other  singable  airs  of  the  Moody  and  Sankey 
type,  but  as  I  hum  it  over  in  memory  now, 
it  tastes  sweetish  and  thin.     Its  popularity  is 
appalling,  musically  at  least.     Converse  has 
written  many  other  hymn-tunes,  which  have 
taken  their  place  among  ecclesiastical  sopor- 
ifics.    Besides,   he   has  recently  compiled  a 
collection  of  the  world's  best  hymns  into  the 
"Standard    Hymnal."       In    this    field    Con- 
verse,   though    conventional,  —  and    conven- 
tionality may  be  considered  inevitable  here, 
—  is  mellow  of  harmony  and  sincere  in  senti- 
ment. 

Numberless  attempts  are  made  to  supply 
our  uncomfortable    lack    of    a  distinctly  na- 


The  Acade^nics.  259 

tional  air,  but  few  of  them  have  that  first 
requisite,  a  fiery  catchiness,  and  most  of 
them  have  been  so  bombastic  as  to  pall  even 
upon  palates  that  can  endure  Fourth  of  July 
glorification.  Recognizing  that  the  trouble 
with  "America"  was  not  at  all  due  to  the 
noble  words  written  by  the  man  whom  "fate 
tried  to  conceal  by  naming  him  Smith,"  Con- 
verse has  written  a  new  air  to  this  poem. 
Unfortunately,  however,  his  method  of  vary- 
ing the  much-borrowed  original  tune  is  too 
transparent.  He  has  not  discarded  the  idea 
at  all,  or  changed  the  rhythm  or  the  spirit. 
He  has  only  taken  his  tune  upward  where 
"  God  Save  the  Queen "  moves  down,  and 
bent  his  melody  down  where  the  British 
soars  up.  This,  I  fancy,  is  the  chief  reason 
why  his  national  hymn  has  gone  over  to  the 
great  majority,  and  has  been  conspicuously 
absent  from  such  public  occasions  as  torch- 
light parades  and  ratifications. 

Except    the  work    issued  under  the  alias 


26o    Contemporary  America?t  Composers. 

"  Karl  Redan,"  or  the  anagrams,  "  C.  O, 
Nevers  "  and  "  C.  E.  Revons,"  his  only  secu- 
lar musics  that  have  been  put  into  print  are 
his  American  Overture,  published  in  Paris, 
and  a  book  of  six  songs,  published  in  Ger- 
many, 

Music  is  called  the  universal  language,  but 
it  has  strongly  marked  dialects,  and  some- 
times a  national  flavor  untranslatable  to 
foreign  peoples.  So  with  these  six  songs,  not 
the  words  alone  are  German.  They  are 
based  on  a  Teutonic,  and  they  modulate  only 
from  Berlin  to  Braunschweig  and  around 
to  Leipzig.  While  the  songs  repay  study, 
they  are  rather  marked  by  a  pianistic  medita- 
tion than  a  strictly  lyric  emotion.  "  Aufmun- 
terung  zur  Freude "  is  a  tame  allegretto ; 
"Wehmuth"  is  better ;  "Tauschung"  is  a 
short  elegy  of  passion  and  depth  ;  "  Ruhe  in 
der  Geliebten"  is  best  in  its  middle  strain 
where  it  is  full  of  rich  feeling  and  harmony. 
The  ending  is  cheap.     "  Der  gefangene  San- 


The  Academics.  261 

ger"  is  only  a  slight  variant  at  first  on  the 
"Adieu"  credited  to  Schubert;  it  is  there- 
after excellent. 

Converse  has  a  large  body  of  music  in 
manuscript,  none  of  which  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  examining  save  a  tender  sacred  lullaby. 
There  are  two  symphonies,  ten  suites,  and 
concert  overture,  three  symphonic  poems,  an 
oratorio,  "The  Captivity,"  six  string  quar- 
tettes, and  a  mass  of  psalmodic  and  other 
vocal  writing. 

Of  these  works  three  have  been  produced 
with  marked  success  :  the  "  Christmas  Over- 
ture," at  one  of  the  public  concerts  of  the 
Manuscript  Society,  under  the  direction  of 
Walter  Damrosch  ;  the  overture  "  Im  Friih- 
ling,"  at  concerts  in  Brooklyn  and  New  York, 
under  the  baton  of  Theodore  Thomas  ;  and 
the  American  overture,  "Hail  Columbia!" 
at  the  Boston  Peace  Jubilee  under  Patrick 
Gilmore,  at  the  Columbian  Exposition  under 
Thomas,  and  in  New  York  under  Anton  Seidl. 


262    Co7itemporary  Americati  Composers. 

This  last  overture  received  the  distinction 
of  pubUcation  at  Paris,  by  Schott  et  Cie.  It 
is  built  on  the  rousing  air  of  "  Hail,  Colum- 
bia!" This  is  suggested  in  the  slow  minor 
introduction ;  the  air  itself  is  indicated 
thematically  as  one  of  the  subjects  later 
appearing  in  full  swing  in  a  coda.  The  in- 
strumentation is  brilliant  and  the  climax 
overwhelming. 

Altogether  the  work  is  more  than  adroit 
musical  composition.  It  is  a  prairie-fire  of 
patriotism. 

L.  A.  Coerne. 

A  grand  opera  by  an  American  on  an 
American  subject  is  an  achievement  to  look 
forward  to.  Though  I  have  not  seen  this 
opera,  called  '*A  Woman  of  Marblehead,"  it 
is  safe  to  predict,  from  a  study  of  its  com- 
poser's other  works,   that  it  is  a   thing   of 

merit. 

Louis    Adolphe    Coerne,    who   wrote    the 


The  Academics.  263 

music  for  this  opera,  was  born  in  Newark, 
N.  J.,  in  1870,  and  spent  the  years  from  six 
to  ten  in  music  study  abroad,  at  Stuttgart 
and  Paris,  Returning  to  America,  he  entered 
Harvard  College  and  studied  harmony  and 
composition  under  John  Knowles  Paine.  He 
studied  the  violin  under  Kneisel.  In  1890 
he  went  to  Munich,  where  he  studied  the 
organ  and  composition  at  the  Royal  Academy 
of  Music,  under  Rheinberger,  and  the  violin 
under  Hieber.  He  now  decided  to  give  up 
the  career  of  a  violinist  for  that  of  composer, 
conductor,  and  organist.  In  1893  he  returned 
to  Boston  and  acted  as  organist.  A  year 
later  he  went  to  Buffalo,  where  for  three 
years  he  directed  the  Liedertafel. 

While  in  Harvard,  Coerne  had  composed 
and  produced  a  concerto  for  violin  and  'cello 
with  string  orchestra  accompaniment,  a  fan- 
tasy for  full  orchestra,  and  a  number  of 
anthems  which  were  performed  at  the  uni- 
versity chapel.     While  in  Munich  and  Stutt- 


264    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

gart  he  wrote  and  produced  a  string  suite,  an 
organ  concerto  with  accompaniment  of  strings, 
horns,  and  harps,  three  choral  works,  and  a 
ballet,  "  Evadne,"  on  a  subject  of  his  own. 
His  symphonic  poem  on  Longfellow's  "  Hia- 
watha "  was  also  produced  there  with  much 
success  under  his  personal  direction,  and  later 
by  the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra.  He  was 
invited  then  by  Theodore  Thomas  to  attend 
the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago,  to  give  recitals 
on  the  great  organ  in  Festival  Hall. 

It  has  been  my  misfortune  not  to  have 
heard  or  seen  hardly  any  of  his  writings  ex- 
cept the  published  "  Character  Pieces  "  from 
the  ballet  "Evadne"  (op.  155).  A  "Clown's 
Dance  "  in  bolero  rhythm  is  delightful.  The 
"Introduction  to  Act  II."  contains  many 
varied  ideas  and  one  passage  of  peculiar 
harmonic  beauty.  A  "Valse  de  Salon"  has 
its  good  bits,  but  is  rather  overwrought.  A 
"Devil's  Dance"  introduces  some  excellent 
harmonic  effects,  but  the  "  Waltz  with  Chorus 


The  Academics.  265 

and  Finale"  is  the  best  number  of  the  opus. 
It  begins  in  the  orchestra  with  a  most  irre- 
sistible waltz  movement  that  is  just  what  a 
waltz  should  be.  A  chorus  is  then  superim- 
posed on  this  rhapsody,  and  a  cHmax  of  superb 
richness  attained. 

For  the  organ  Coerne  has  written  much 
and  well.  There  is  an  adaptation  of  three 
pieces  from  the  string  quartette  (op.  19) ;  a 
graceful  Minuet,  a  quaint  Aria,  and  a  Fugue. 
Then  there  are  three  Marches,  which,  like 
most  marches  written  by  contemplative  musi- 
cians, are  rather  thematic  than  spirited,  and 
marked  by  a  restless  and  elaborate  prepara- 
tion for  some  great  chant  that  is  longed  for, 
but  never  comes.  Besides  these,  there  are  a 
very  pleasant  Pastoral,  a  good  Elevation,  and 
a  Nocturne. 

Coerne's  symphonic  poem,  "Hiawatha,"  has 
been  arranged  for  the  piano  for  four  hands, 
and  there  is  also  an  arrangement  for  violin  or 
violoncello  and  piano,  but  I  have  not   seen 


266    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

these.  The  thing  we  are  all  waiting  for  is 
that  American  grand  opera,  "  A  Woman  of 
Marblehead."  It  is  to  be  predicted  that  she 
will  not  receive  the  marble  heart. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE    COLONISTS. 

Art  does  not  prosper  as  hermit.  Of 
course,  every  great  creator  has  a  certain 
aloofness  of  soul,  and  an  inner  isolation ;  but 
he  must  at  times  submit  his  work  to  the  com- 
parison of  his  fellow  artists  ;  he  must  profit 
by  their  discoveries  as  well  as  their  errors  ; 
he  must  grow  overheated  in  those  passionate 
musical  arguments  that  never  convince  any 
one  out  of  his  former  belief,  and  serve  salu- 
tarily to  raise  the  temper,  cultivate  caloric, 
and  deepen  convictions  previously  held ; 
he  must  exchange  criticisms  and  discuss 
standards  with  others,  else  he  will  be  eternally 
making  discoveries  that  are  stale  and  un- 
profitable to  the  rest  of  the  world  ;  he  will 


268    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

seek  to  reach  men's  souls  through  channels 
long  dammed  up,  and  his  achievements  will 
be  marred  by  nai've  triteness  and  primitive 
crudeness. 

So,  while  the  artistic  tendency  may  be  a 
universal  nervous  system,  artists  are  inclined 
to  ganglionate.  The  nerve-knots  vary  in  size 
and  importance,  and  one  chief  ganglion  may 
serve  as  a  feeding  brain,  but  it  cannot  monop- 
olize the  activity.  In  America,  particularly, 
these  ganglia,  or  colonies,  are  an  interesting 
and  vital  phase  of  our  development.  For  a 
country  in  which  the  different  federated  states 
are,  many  of  them,  as  large  as  old-world  king- 
doms, it  is  manifestly  impossible  for  any  one 
capital  to  dominate.  Furthermore,  the  na- 
tional spirit  is  too  insubordinate  to  accept  any 
centre  as  an  oracle. 

New  York,  which  has  certainly  drawn  to 
itself  a  preponderance  of  respectable  com- 
posers, has  yet  been  unable  to  gather  in 
many  of   the    most   important,  and  like  the 


The  Colonists.  269 

French  Academy,  must  always  suffer  in 
prestige  because  of  its  conspicuous  absentees. 
In  the  second  place,  New  York  is  the  least 
serious  and  most  fickle  city  in  the  country, 
and  is  regarded  with  mingled  envy  and  pat- 
ronage by  other  cities. 

Boston  is  even  more  unpopular  with  the 
rest  of  the  country.  And  New  York  and 
other  cities  have  enticed  away  so  many  of 
the  leading  spirits  of  her  musical  colony,  that 
she  cannot  claim  her  once  overwhelming 
superiority.  And  yet,  Boston  has  been,  and 
is,  the  highest  American  representative  of 
that  much  abused  term,  culture.  Of  all  the 
arts,  music  doubtless  gets  her  highest  favor. 

The  aid  Boston  has  been  to  American 
music  is  vital,  and  far  outweighs  that  of  any 
other  city.  That  so  magnificent  an  organiza- 
tion as  its  Symphony  Orchestra  could  be  so 
popular,  shows  the  solidity  of  its  general  art 
appreciations.  The  orchestra  has  been  re- 
markably willing,  too,  to  give  the  American 


2/0    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

composer  a  chance  to  be  heard.  Boston  has 
been  not  only  the  promulgator,  but  in  a 
great  measure  the  tutor,  of  American  music. 

In  Boston-town,  folk  take  things  seriously 
and  studiously.  In  New  York  they  take 
them  fiercely,  whimsically.  Like,  most  gen- 
eralizations, this  one  has  possibly  more  excep- 
tions than  inclusions.     But  it  is  convenient. 

It  is  convenient,  too,  to  group  together  such 
of  the  residents  of  these  two  towns,  as  I  have 
not  discussed  elsewhere.  The  Chicago  coterie 
makes  another  busy  community ;  and  St. 
Louis  and  Cleveland  have  their  activities  of 
more  than  intramural  worth ;  Cincinnati, 
which  was  once  as  musically  thriving  as  its 
strongly  German  qualities  necessitated,  but 
which  had  a  swift  and  strange  decline,  seems 
to  be  plucking  up  heart  again.  For  this,  the 
energy  of  Frank  van  der  Stucken  is  largely 
to  credit.  Aside  from  the  foreign-bom  com- 
posers there,  one  should  mention  the  work  of 
Richard  Kieserling,  Jr.,  and  Emil  Wiegand. 


The  Colonists.  271 

The  former  went  to  Europe  in  1891  and 
studied  at  the  Leipzig  Conservatory,  under 
Reinecke,  Homeyer,  Rust,  Schreck  and  Ja- 
dassohn. He  also  studied  conducting  under 
Sitt.  At  his  graduation,  he  conducted  a  per- 
formance of  his  own  composition,  "Jeanne 
d'Arc."  He  returned  to  his  native  city,  Cin- 
cinnati, in  1895,  where  he  has  since  remained, 
teaching  and  coriducting.  Among  his  works, 
besides  piano  pieces  and  songs,  are  :  "  A  May 
Song,"  for  women's  chorus  and  piano ;  six 
pieces  for  vioHn  and  piano  ;  "  Harold,"  a  bal- 
lad for  male  chorus,  barytone  solo,  and  orches- 
tra ;  "Were  It  Not  For  Love,"  composed  for 
male  chorus  ;  several  sets  of  male  choruses ; 
a  motet  for  mixed  chorus  a  cappella ;  a  ber- 
ceuse for  string  orchestra,  an  introduction 
and  rondo  for  violin  and  orchestra ;  and  a 
"  Marche  Nuptiale,"  for  grand  orchestra. 

Emil  Wiegand  was  also  born  in  Cincin- 
nati, and  had  his  first  tuition  on  the  violin 
from  his  father.     His  theoretical  studies  have 


2/2    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

been  received  entirely  in  Cincinnati.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  local  Symphonic  Orchestra, 
and  has  composed  an  overture  for  grand 
orchestra,  a  string  quartette,  and  various 
pieces  for  the  violin,  piano,  and  voice. 

In  San  Francisco  there  is  less  important 
musical  composition  than  there  was  in  the 
days  when  Kelley  and  Page  were  active  there. 
The  work  of  H.  B.  Pasmore  is  highly  com- 
mended by  cognoscenti,  as  are  also  the  works 
of  Frederick  Zeck,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  San 
Francisco,  studied  in  Germany,  and  has 
composed  symphonies,  a  symphonic  poem, 
"  Lamia,"  a  romantic  opera,  and  other  works  ; 
Samuel  Fleischmann,  born  in  California  and 
educated  abroad,  a  concert  pianist,  who  has 
written,  among  other  things,  an  overture, 
"  Hero  and  Leander,"  which  was  performed 
in  New  York ;  and  P.  C.  Allen,  who  studied 
in  Europe,  and  has  written  well. 

But  the  larger  cities  do  not  by  any  means 
contain    all    the    worthy    composition.       In 


The  Colonists.  273 

many  smaller  cities,  and  in  a  few  villages 
even,  can  be  found  men  pf  high  culture  and 
earnest  endeavor. 

In  Yonkers,  New  York,  is  Frederick  R. 
Burton,  who  has  written  a  dramatic  cantata 
on  Longfellow's  "  Hiawatha,"  which  has  been 
frequently  performed.  In  this  work  use  is 
made  of  an  actual  Indian  theme,  which  was 
jotted  down  by  H.  E.  Krehbiel,  and  is  worked 
up  delightfully  in  the  cantata,  an  incessant 
thudding  of  a  drum  in  an  incommensurate 
rhythm  giving  it  a  decidedly  barbaric  tone. 
The  cantata  contains  also  a  quaint  and  touch- 
ing contralto  aria,  and  a  pathetic  setting  of 
the  death-song  of  Minnehaha.  Burton  is  a 
graduate  of  Harvard,  and  a  writer  as  well 
as  a  composer.  He  organized,  in  1896,  the 
Yonker's  Choral  Society,  of  which  he  is 
conductor. 

At  Hartford,  Conn.,  is  Nathan  H.  Allen, 
who  was  born  in  Marion,  Mass.,  in  1848.  In 
1867  he  went  to  Berlin,  where  he  was  a  pupil 


2/4    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

of  Haupt  for  three  years.  In  this  country 
he  has  been  active  as  an  organist  and 
teacher.  Many  of  his  compositions  of  sacred 
music  have  been  published,  including  a  can- 
tata, "The  Apotheosis  of  St.  Dorothy." 

At  Providence,  R.  I.,  a  prominent  figure 
is  Jules  Jordan,  who  was  born  at  Williman- 
tic.  Conn.,  November  lo,  1850,  of  colonial 
ancestry.  Though  chiefly  interested  in  ora- 
torio singing,  in  which  he  has  been  promi- 
nent, he  has  written  a  number  of  songs,  some 
of  which  have  been  very  popular.  The  best 
of  these  are  a  rapturous  "  Love's  Philosophy," 
a  delicious  "Dutch  Lullaby,"  "An  Old 
Song,"  and  "Stay  By  and  Sing."  He  has 
written  some  religious  songs,  part  songs,  and 
three  works  for  soli,  chorus,  and  orchestra, 
"Windswept  Wheat,"  "A  Night  Service," 
and  "  Barbara  Frietchie  ;  "  also  "Joel,"  a  dra- 
matic  scene  for  soprano  and  orchestra,  sung 
at  the  Worcester  Musical  Festival  by  Mme. 
Nordica.     This    I    have    not    seen,    nor   his 


The  Colonists.  275 

romantic  opera,  "  Rip  Van  Winkle."  In  June, 
1895,  Brown  University  conferred  on  him 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Music.  Two  albums 
of  his  songs  are  published. 

A  writer  of  many  religious  solos  and  part 
songs  is  E.  W.  Hanscom,  who  lives  in 
Auburn,  Me.  He  was  born  at  Durham, 
in  the  same  State,  December  2"^,  1848.  He 
has  made  two  extended  visits  to  London, 
Berlin  and  Vienna,  for  special  work  under 
eminent  teachers,  but  has  chiefly  studied 
in  Maine.  Besides  his  sacred  songs  Hans- 
com has  published  a  group  of  six  songs,  all 
written  intelligently,  and  an  especially  good 
lyric,  "Go,  Rose,  and  in  Her  Golden  Hair," 
a  very  richly  harmonized  "  Lullaby,"  and  two 
"  Christmas  Songs,"  with  violin  obbligato. 

In  Delaware,  Ohio,  at  the  Ohio  Wesleyan 
University,  is  a  composer,  Willard  J.  Baltzell, 
who  has  found  inspiration  for  many  worthy 
compositions,  but  publishers  for  only  two, 
both  of  these  part  songs,  "  Dreamland  "  and 


2/6    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

"  Life  is    a  Flower,"  of  which   the  latter  is 
very  excellent  writing. 

Baltzell  was  for  some  years  a  victim  of  the 
musical  lassitude  of  Philadelphia.  He  had 
his  musical  training  there.  He  has  written 
in  the  large  forms  a  suite  founded  on  Ros- 
setti's  '•  Love's  Nocturne,"  an  overture, 
"  Three  Guardsmen,"  a  "  Novelette  "  for  or- 
chestra, a  cantata,  "The  Mystery  of  Life," 
and  an  unfinished  setting  of  Psalm  xvii.  with 
barytone  solo.  These  are  all  scored  for 
orchestra,  and  the  manuscript  that  I  have 
seen  shows  notable  psychological  power. 
Other  works  are :  a  string  quartette,  a  trio, 
"  Lilith,"  based  on  Rossetti's  poem,  "  Eden 
Bower,"  a  nonet,  and  a  violin  sonata.  He 
has  also  written  for  the  piano  and  organ 
fugues  and  other  works.  These  I  have  not 
seen  ;  but  I  have  read  many  of  his  songs  in 
manuscript,  and  they  reveal  a  remarkable 
strenuousness,  and  a  fine  understanding  of 
the   poetry.     His  song,  "  Desire,"  is  full  of 


TJie  Colonists.  277 

high-colored  flecks  of  harmony  that  dance 
like  the  golden  motes  in  a  sunbeam.  His 
"Madrigal"  has  much  style  and  humor. 
He  has  set  to  music  a  deal  of  the  verse  of 
Langdon  E.  Mitchell,  besides  a  song  cycle, 
"  The  Journey,"  which  is  an  interesting  fail- 
ure, —  a  failure  because  it  cannot  interest 
any  public  singer,  and  interesting  because  of 
its  artistic  musical  landscape  suggestion ;  and 
there  are  the  songs,  "  Fallen  Leaf,"  which  is 
deeply  morose,  and  "  Loss,"  which  has  some 
remarkable  details  and  a  strange,  but  effect- 
ive, ambiguous  ending.  Other  songs  are  a 
superbly  rapturous  setting  of  E.  C.  Sted- 
man's  "Thou  Art  Mine,"  and  a  series  of 
songs  to  the  words  of  Richard  Watson  Gilder, 
a  poet  who  is  singularly  interesting  to  com- 
posers :  "  Thistledown "  is  irresistibly  vola- 
tile; "Because  the  Rose  Must  Fade"  has 
a  nobility  of  mood;  "The  Winter  Heart" 
is  a  powerful  short  song,  and  "  Woman's 
Thought,"    aside  from  one  or  two  dangerous 


2/8   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

moments,  is  stirring  and  intense.  Baltzell 
writes  elaborate  accompaniments,  for  which 
his  skill  is  sufficient,  and  he  is  not  afraid 
of  his  effects. 

In  the  far  Xanadu  of  Colorado  lives  Rubin 
Goldmark,  a  nephew  of  the  famous  Carl 
Goldmark.  He  was  born  in  New  York  in 
1872.  He  attended  the  public  schools  and 
the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York.  At 
the  age  of  seven  he  began  the  study  of  the 
piano  with  Alfred  M.  Livonius,  with  whom 
he  went  to  Vienna  at  the  age  of  seventeen. 
There  he  studied  the  piano  with  Anton  Door, 
and  composition  with  Fuchs,  completing  in 
two  years  a  three  years'  course  in  harmony 
and  counterpoint.  Returning  to  New  York, 
he  studied  with  Rafael  Joseffy  and  with 
Doctor  Dvorak  for  one  year.  In  1892  he 
went  to  Colorado  Springs  for  his  health. 
Having  established  a  successful  College  of 
Music  there,  he  has  remained  as  its  director 
and  as  a  lecturer  on  musical  topics. 


The  Colonists.  279 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  wrote  his 
"Theme  and  Variations"  for  orchestra. 
They  were  performed  under  Mr.  Seidl's 
leadership  in  1895  with  much  success.  Their 
harmonies  are  singularly  clear  and  sweet,  of 
the  good  old  school.  At  the  age  of  twenty 
Goldmark  wrote  a  trio  for  piano,  violin,  and 
'cello.  After  the  first  performance  of  this 
work  at  one  of  the  conservatory  concerts, 
Doctor  Dvorak  exclaimed,  "There  are  now 
two  Goldmarks."  The  work  has  also  had 
performance  at  the  concerts  of  the  Kalten- 
born  Quartette,  and  has  been  published.  It 
begins  with  a  tentative  questioning,  from 
which  a  serious  allegro  is  led  forth.  It  is 
lyrical  and  sane,  though  not  particularly 
modern,  and  certainly  not  revolutionary  in 
spirit.  The  second  movement,  a  romanza, 
shows  more  contrapuntal  resource,  and  is  full 
of  a  deep  yearning  and  appeal,  —  an  extremely 
beautiful  movement.  The  scherzo  evinces  a 
taking  jocosity  with  a  serious  interval.     The 


28o    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

piano  part  is  especially  humorous.  The  finale 
begins  with  a  touch  of  Ethiopianism  that  is 
perhaps  unconscious.  The  whole  movement 
is  very  original  and  quaint. 

Goldmark's  music  shows  a  steady  develop- 
ment from  a  conservative  simplicity  to  a 
modern  elaborateness,  a  development  thor- 
oughly to  be  commended  if  it  does  not  lead 
into  obscurity.  This  danger  seems  to  threaten 
Goldmark's  career,  judging  from  his  cantata 
for  chorus  and  orchestra,  the  *'  Pilgrimage  to 
Kevlaar,"  which,  while  highly  interesting  in 
places,  and  distinctly  resourceful,  is  too  ab- 
struse and  gloomy  to  stand  much  chance  of 
public  understanding. 

Many  of  the  works  that  I  have  had  the 
privilege  of  examining  in  MS.  have  since 
been  published ;  there  is  much  originality, 
much  attainment,  and  more  promise  in  a 
number  of  his  songs.  His  setting  of  Mar- 
lowe's "  Come  Live  with  Me,"  in  spite  of  a 
few   eccentricities,    shows,   on    the  whole,   a 


The  Colonists.  281 

great  fluency  of  melody  over  an  elaborately 
beautiful  accompaniment.  His  solemn  and 
mysterious  "Forest  Song"  could  deserve 
the  advertisement  of  being  "  drawn  from  the 
wood."  "Die  erste  Liebe"  shows  a  contem- 
plative originality  in  harmony,  and  ends  with 
a  curious  dissonance  and  resolution.  "  O'er 
the  Woods'  Brow  "  is  very  strange  and  inter- 
esting, though  somewhat  abstruse.  Less  so 
is  a  song,  "An  den  Abendsstern  ;"  it  has  a 
comparison-forcing  name,  but  is  a  delightful 
song.  "Es  muss  ein  Wunderbares  sein  "  is 
notable  for  novel  effects  in  harmonies  of 
crystal  with  light  dissonances  to  edge  the 
facets.  A  sonata  for  piano  and  violin  and 
a  romanza  for  'cello  have  been  published, 
and  his  "  Hiawatha  "  overture  has  been  played 
by  the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra.  On 
this  occasion  the  always  quoteworthy  mezzo- 
tintist,  James  Huneker,  wrote : 

"  The  nephew  of  a  very  remarkable  composer,  — 
for  Carl  Goldmark  outranks  to-day  all  the   Griegs, 


282    Contemporary  Ajnerican  Composers. 

Massenets,  Mascagnis,  Saint-Saens,  and  DvQriks  you 
can  gather,  —  he  needs  must  fear  the  presence  in  his 
scores  of  the  avuncular  apparition.  His  '  Hiawatha ' 
overture  was  played  by  Mr.  Gericke  and  the  Boston 
Symphony  Orchestra  Wednesday  of  last  week.  At 
the  first  cantilena  on  the  strings  I  nearly  jumped  out 
of  my  seat.  It  was  bewilderingly  luscious  and  Gold- 
markian,  —  a  young  Goldmark  come  to  judgment. 
The  family  gifts  are  color  and  rhythm.  This  youth 
has  them,  and  he  also  has  brains.  Original  invention 
is  yet  to  come,  but  I  have  hopes.  The  overture, 
which  is  not  Indian,  is  full  of  good  things,  withal  too 
lengthy  in  the  free  fantasia.  There  is  life,  and  while 
there's  life  there's  rhythm,  and  a  nice  variety  there 
is.  The  allegro  has  one  stout  tune,  and  the  rush  and 
dynamic  glow  lasts.  He  lasts,  does  Rubin  Gold- 
mark,  and  I  could  have  heard  the  piece  through 
twice.  The  young  American  composer  has  not  been 
idle  lately." 


The  New   York  Colony. 

In  every  period  where  art  is  alive  there 
must  be  violent  faction,  and  wherever  there 
is  violent  faction  there  is  sure  to  be  a  tertium 
quid  that  endeavors   to   bridge  the   quarrel. 


The  Colonists.  283 

The  Daniel  Websters  call  forth  the  Robert 
Haynes,  and  the  two  together  evoke  the 
compromisers,  the  Henry  Clays. 

In  the  struggle  between  modernity  and 
classicism  that  always  rages  when  music  is  in 
vitality,  one  always  finds  certain  ardent  spirits 
who  endeavor  to  reconcile  the  conflicting 
theories  of  the  different  schools,  and  to 
materialize  the  reconciliation  in  their  own 
work.  An  interesting  example  of  this  is  to 
be  found  in  the  anatomical  construction  of 
one  of  the  best  American  piano  compositions, 
the  fantasy  for  piano  and  orchestra  by 
Arthur  Whiting. 

The  composer  has  aimed  to  pay  his  respects 
to  the  classic  sonata  formula,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  warp  it  to  more  romantic  and  modern 
usages.  The  result  of  his  experiment  is  a 
form  that  should  interest  every  composer. 
As  Whiting  phrases  it,  he  has  "  telescoped  " 
the  sonata  form.  The  slow  introduction 
prepares   for  the  first    and  second   subjects, 


284   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

which  appear,  as  usual,  except  that  they  are 
somewhat  developed  as  they  appear.  Now, 
in  place  of  the  regular  development,  the 
pastoral  movement  is  brought  forward.  This 
is  followed  by  the  reprise  of  the  first  and 
second  subjects.  Then  the  finale  appears. 
All  these  movements  are  performed  without 
pause,  and  the  result  is  so  successful  that 
Whiting  is  using  the  same  plan  for  a  quin- 
tette. 

Handwriting  experts  are  fond  of  referring 
to  the  "  picture  effect  "  of  a  page  of  writing. 
It  is  sometimes  startling  to  see  the  resem- 
blance in  "picture  effect  "  between  the  music 
pages  of  different  composers.  The  hand- 
somely abused  Perosi,  for  instance,  writes 
many  a  page,  which,  if  held  at  arm's  length, 
you  would  swear  was  one  of  Palestrina's. 
Some  of  Mr.  Whiting's  music  has  a  decidedly 
Brahmsic  picture  effect.  This  feeling  is 
emphasized  when  one  remembers  the  enthusi- 
asm shown  for  Brahms  in  Whiting's  concerts, 


The  Colonists.  285 

where  the  works  of  the  Ursus  Minor  of 
Vienna  hold  the  place  of  honor.  The  re- 
semblance is  only  skin  deep,  however,  and 
Whiting's  music  has  a  mind  of  its  own. 

The  fantasy  in  question  (op.  11)  is  full  of 
individuality  and  brilliance.  The  first  subject 
is  announced  appassionato  by  the  strings, 
the  piano  joining  with  arabesquery  that  fol- 
lows the  general  outlines.  After  this  is 
somewhat  developed,  the  second  subject 
comes  in  whimsically  in  the  relative  major. 
This  is  written  with  great  chromatic  luscious- 
ness,  and  is  quite  hberally  developed.  It 
suddenly  disappears  into  what  is  ordinarily 
called  the  second  movement,  a  pastoral,  in 
which  the  piano  is  answered  by  the  oboe, 
flute,  clarinet,  and  finally  the  horn.  This  is 
gradually  appassionated  until  it  is  merged 
into  the  reprise  of  the  first  movement  proper. 
During  this  reprise  little  glints  of  reminis- 
cence of  the  pastoral  are  seen.  A  coda  of 
great   bravery  leads  to   the  last   movement, 


286    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

which  is  marked  "  scherzando,"  but  is  rather 
martial  in  tone.  The  decidedly  noble  compo- 
sition ends  with  great  brilliancy  and  strength. 
It  is  published  for  orchestral  score  and  for 
two  pianos. 

Whiting  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass., 
June  20,  1 861.  He  studied  the  piano  with 
William  H.  Sherwood,  and  has  made  a  suc- 
cessful career  in  concert  playing  with  the 
Boston  Symphony  Orchestra  and  the  Kneisel 
Quartette,  both  of  which  organizations  have 
performed  works  of  his.  In  1883  he  went 
to  Munich  for  two  years,  where  he  studied 
counterpoint  and  composition  with  Rhein- 
berger.  He  is  now  living  in  New  York  as  a 
concert  pianist  and  teacher. 

Four  works  of  his  for  the  piano  are  :  "  Six 
Bagatelles,"  of  which  the  "Caprice"  has  a 
charming  infectious  coda,  while  the  "  Humor- 
eske  "  is  less  simple,  and  also  less  amusing. 
The  "Album  Leaf"  is  a  pleasing  whimsy, 
and  the  "  Idylle  "  is  as  delicate  as  fleece.     Of 


The  Colonists.  287 


rdylle. 


Slovl7<li4  4rf»ll)lly 


Copyright,  ISUo,  by  G.  Schirmer. 


288    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

the  three  "Characteristic  Waltzes,"  the 
"  Valse  Sentimentale  "  is  by  far  the  most  in- 
teresting. It  manages  to  develop  a  sort  of 
harmonic  haze  that  is  very  romantic. 

For  the  voice,  Whiting  has  written  little. 
Church  music  interests  him  greatly,  and  he 
has  written  various  anthems,  a  morning  and 
evening  service,  which  keeps  largely  to  the 
traditional  colors  of  the  Episcopal  ecclesias- 
tical manner,  yet  manages  to  be  fervent  with- 
out being  theatrical.  A  trio,  a  violin  sonata, 
and  a  piano  quintette,  a  suite  for  strings, 
and  a  concert  overture  for  orchestra  complete 
the  list  of  his  writings. 

On  the  occasion  of  a  performance  of  Whit- 
ing's "Fantasy,"  Philip  Hale  thus  pictur- 
esquely summed  him  up : 

"  In  times  past  I  have  been  inclined  to  the  opinion 
that  when  Mr,  Whiting  first  pondered  the  question  of 
a  calling  he  must  have  hesitated  between  chess  and 
music.  His  music  seemed  to  me  full  of  openings 
and  gambits  and  queer  things  contrived  as  in  a  game. 


The  Colonists,  289 

He  was  the  player,  and  the  audience  was  his  antago- 
nist. Mr.  Whiting  was  generally  the  easy  conqueror. 
The  audience  gave  up  the  contest  and  admired  the 
skill  of  the  musician. 

"  You  respected  the  music  of  Mr.  Whiting,  but  you 
did  not  feel  for  it  any  personal  affection.  The  music 
lacked  humanity.  Mr.  Whiting  had,  and  no  doubt 
has,  high  ideals.  Sensuousness  in  music  seemed  to 
him  as  something  intolerable,  something  against  pub- 
lic morals,  something  that  should  be  suppressed  by 
the  selectmen.  Perhaps  he  never  went  so  far  as  to 
petition  for  an  injunction  against  sex  in  music ;  but 
rigorous  intellectuality  was  his  one  aim.  He  might 
have  written  A  Serious  Call  to  Devout  and  Holy 
Composition,  or  A  Practical  Treatise  upon  Musical 
Perfection,  to  which  is  now  added,  by  the  same 
author,  The  Absolute  Unlawfulness  of  the  Stage 
Entertainment  Fully  Demonstrated. 

"  There  was  almost  intolerance  in  Mr.  Whiting's 
musical  attitude.  He  himself  is  a  man  of  wit  rather 
than  humor,  a  man  with  a  very  pretty  knack  at 
sarcasm.  He  is  industrious,  fastidious,  a  severe  judge 
of  his  own  works.  As  a  musician  he  was  even  in  his 
dryest  days  worthy  of  sincere  respect. 

"  Now  this  fantasia  is  the  outward  and  sure  expres- 
sion of  a  change  in  Mr.  Whiting's  way  of  musical 
thinking,  and  the  change  is  decidedly  for  the  better. 


290    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

There  is  still  a  display  of  pure  intellectuality ;  there 
is  still  a  solving  of  self-imposed  problems ;  but  Mr. 
Whiting's  musical  enjoyment  is  no  longer  strictly 
selfish.  Here  is  a  fantasia  in  the  true  sense  of  the 
term;  form  is  here  subservient  to  fancy.  The  first 
movement,  if  you  wish  to  observe  traditional  termi- 
nology, is  conspicuous  chiefly  for  the  skill,  yes,  fancy, 
with  which  thematic  material  of  no  marked  apparent 
inherent  value  is  treated.  The  pastorale  is  fresh  and 
suggestive.  The  ordinary  pastorale  is  a  bore.  There 
is  the  familiar  recipe :  take  an  oboe  the  size  of  an 
egg,  stir  it  with  a  flute,  add  a  little  piano,  throw  in  a 
handful  of  muted  strings,  and  let  the  whole  gently 
simmer  in  a  9-8  stew-pan.  But  Mr.  Whiting  has 
treated  his  landscape  and  animal  kingdom  with  rare 
discretion.  The  music  gave  pleasure  ;  it  soothed  by 
its  quiet  untortured  beauty,  its  simplicity,  its  discre- 
tion. And  in  like  manner,  without  receiving  or 
desiring  to  receive  any  definite,  precise  impression, 
the  finale  interested  because  it  was  not  a  hackneyed 
form  of  brilliant  talk.  The  finale  is  something  more 
than  clever,  to  use  a  hideous  term  that  I  heard  applied 
to  it.  It  is  individual,  and  this  praise  may  be  awarded 
the  whole  work.  Remember,  too,  that  although  this 
is  a  fantasia,  there  is  not  merely  a  succession  of  un- 
regulated, uncontrolled,  incoherent  sleep-chasings. 
"  In  this  work  there  is  a  warmer  spirit  than  that 


HENRY    HOLDEN    HUSS. 


The  Colonists.  291 

which  animated  or  kept  alive  Mr.  Whiting's  former 
creations.  There  is  no  deep  emotion,  there  is  no 
sensuousness,  there  is  no  glowing  color,  no  '  color 
of  deciduous  days.'  These  might  be  incongruous 
in  the  present  scheme.  But  there  is  a  more  pro- 
nounced vitality,  there  is  a  more  decided  sympathy 
with  the  world  and  men  and  women ;  there  is  more 
humanity. 

"  The  piano  is  here  an  orchestral  instrument,  and  as 
such  it  was  played  admirably  by  Mr.  Whiting.  His 
style  of  playing  is  his  own,  even  his  tone  seems  pecu- 
liarly his  own,  with  a  crispness  that  is  not  metallic, 
with  a  quality  that  deceives  at  first  in  its  carrying 
power.  His  performance  was  singularly  clean  and 
elastic,  its  personality  was  refreshing.  He  played 
the  thoughts  of  Mr.  Whiting  in  Mr.  Whiting's  way. 
And  thus  by  piece  and  performance  did  he  win  a 
legitimate  success." 

Many  American  composers  have  had  their 
first  tuition  from  their  mothers  ;  few  from 
their  fathers.  Mr,  Huss  is  one  of  the  latter 
few.  The  soUdity  of  his  musical  foundation 
bespeaks  a  very  correct  beginning.  He  was 
born  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  June  21,  1862.  His 
first    teacher    in    the   theory    of    music    was 


292    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Otis  B.  Boise,  who  has  been  for  the  last 
twenty  years  a  teacher  of  theory  in  Berlin, 
though  he  was  born  in  this  country.  Huss 
went  to  Munich  in  1883  and  remained  three 
years.  He  studied  counterpoint  under  Rhein- 
berger,  and  won  public  mention  for  profi- 
ciency. At  his  second  examination  his  idyl 
for  small  orchestra,  "In  the  Forest,"  was 
produced  ;  and  at  his  graduation  he  per- 
formed his  "  Rhapsody  "  in  C  major  for  piano 
and  orchestra.  A  year  after  his  return  to 
America  this  work  was  given  by  the  Boston 
Symphony  Orchestra.  A  year  later  Van 
der  Stucken  gave  it  at  the  first  of  his  con- 
certs of  American  compositions.  The  next 
year  Huss'  "  Ave  Maria,"  for  women's  voices, 
string  orchestra,  harp,  and  organ,  was  given 
a  public  hearing.  The  next  year  he  gave 
a  concert  of  his  own  works,  and  the  same 
year,  1889,  Van  der  Stucken  produced  his 
violin  romance  and  polonaise  for  violin  and 
orchestra  at  the  Paris   Exposition. 


The  Colonists.  293 

His  piano  concerto  for  piano  and  orchestra 
he  played  first  with  the  Boston  Symphony 
Orchestra  in  1894,  and  has  given  it  on 
numerous  occasions  since. 

Other  works,  most  of  which  have  also  been 
published,  are  :  "  The  Fountain,"  for  women's 
voices  a  cappella ;  a  festival  "  Sanctus,"  for 
chorus  and  orchestra  ;  an  "  Easter  Theme," 
for  chorus,  organ,  and  orchestra ;  "  The 
Winds,"  for  chorus  and  orchestra,  with  so- 
prano and  alto  solos ;  a  Festival  March," 
for  organ  and  orchestra ;  a  concerto  for 
violin,  and  orchestra  ;  a  trio  for  piano,  violin, 
and  'cello  ;  a  "  Prdude  Appassionata,"  for  the 
piano,  dedicated  to  and  played  by  Miss  Ad^le 
aus  der  Ohe,  to  whom  the  concerto  is  also 
dedicated. 

This  concerto,  which  is  in  D  major,  is  a 
good  example  of  the  completeness  of  Huss' 
armory  of  resources.  The  first  movement 
has  the  martial  pomp  and  hauteur  and  the 
Sardanapalian  opulence  and  color  that  mark 


294   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

a  barbaric  triumph,  Chopin  has  been  the 
evident  model,  and  the  result  is  always  pian- 
istic  even  at  its  most  riotous  point.  Huss 
has  ransacked  the  piano  and  pillaged  almost 
every  imaginable  fabric  of  high  color.  The 
great  technical  difficulties  of  the  work  are  en- 
tirely incidental  to  the  desire  for  splendor. 
The  result  is  gorgeous  and  purple.  The  an- 
dante is  hardly  less  elaborate  than  the  first 
movement,  but  in  the  finale  there  is  some 
laying  off  of  the  impedimenta  of  the  pageant, 
as  if  the  paraders  had  put  aside  the  magnifi- 
cence for  a  period  of  more  informal  festivity. 
The  spirit  is  that  of  the  scherzo,  and  the 
main  theme  is  the  catchiest  imaginable,  the 
rhythm  curious  and  irresistible,  and  the  en- 
tire mood  saturnalian.  In  the  coda  there 
is  a  reminder  of  the  first  movement,  and  the 
whole  thing  ends  in  a  blaze  of  fireworks. 

On  the  occasion  of  its  first  performance 
in  Cincinnati,  in  1889,  Robert  I.  Carter 
wrote : 


The  Colonists.  295 

"  It  is  preeminently  a  symphonic  work,  in  which 
the  piano  is  used  as  a  voice  in  the  orchestra,  and 
used  with  consummate  skill.  The  charm  of  the  work 
lies  in  its  simplicity.  The  pianist  will  tell  you  at 
once  that  it  is  essentially  pianistic,  a  term  that  is 
much  abused  and  means  little.  The  traditional  ca- 
denza is  there,  but  it  is  not  allowed  to  step  out  of  the 
frame,  and  so  perfect  is  the  relation  to  what  precedes 
and  follows,  that  the  average  listener  might  claim 
that  it  does  not  exist.  Without  wishing  to  venture 
upon  any  odious  grounds  of  comparison,  I  want  to 
state  frankly  that  it  is,  to  me,  emphatically  the  best 
American  concerto." 

Huss  is  essentially  a  dramatic  and  lyric 
composer,  though  he  seems  to  be  determined 
to  show  himself  also  a  thematic  composer  of 
the  old  school.  In  his  trio,  which  I  heard 
played  by  the  Kaltenborn  Quartette,  both 
phases  of  his  activity  were  seen.  There  was 
much  odor  of  the  lamp  about  the  greater 
part  of  the  trio,  which  seemed  generally 
lacking  that  necessary  capillarity  of  energy 
which  sometimes  saturates  with  life-sap  the 
most  formal  and  elaborate  counterpoint  of  the 


296    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

pre-romantic  strata.  The  andante  of  the  trio, 
however,  displayed  Huss'  singularly  appeal- 
ing gift  of  song.  It  abounded  in  emotion, 
and  was  —  to  use  the  impossible  word  Keats 
coined  —  "yearnful."  Huss  should  write 
more  of  this  sort  of  music.  We  need  its  rare 
spontaneity  and  truth,  as  we  do  not  need  the 
all  too  frequent  mathematics  of  those  who 
compose,  as  Tybalt  fought,  "  by  the  book." 

For  the  piano  there  are  "Three  Baga- 
telles : "  an  "  fitude  Melodique,"  which  is 
rather  harmonic  than  melodic ;  an  "  Album- 
blatt,"  a  graceful  movement  woven  like  a 
Schumann  arabesque;  and  a  "Pastoral,"  in 
which  the  gracefulness  of  the  music  given  to 
the  right  hand  is  annulled  by  the  inexplicable 
harshness  of  that  given  to  the  left. 

For  the  voice,  there  is,  of  course,  a  setting 
of  "  Du  bist  wie  eine  Blume,"  which,  save  for 
the  fact  that  it  looks  as  if  the  accompaniment 
were  written  first,  is  a  very  pure  piece  of 
writing.     The   "  Song    of   the  Syrens "  is  a 


The  Colonists.  297 

strong  composition  with  a  big  climax,  the 
"  Jessamine  Bud  "  is  extremely  delicate,  and 
"  They  that  Sow  in  Tears  "  has  much  dignity. 
There  are  two  songs  from  Tennyson,  "  There 
is  Sweet  Music  Here "  and  "  Home  They 
Brought  Her  Warrior  Dead,"  with  orchestral 
accompaniment. 

By  all  odds  the  most  important,  and  a 
genuinely  improved  composition  is  the  aria 
for  soprano  and  orchestra,  "The  Death  of 
Cleopatra."  The  words  are  taken  from 
Shakespeare's  play  and  make  use  of  the 
great  lines  given  to  the  dying  Egypt, 
"  Give  me  my  robe,  put  on  my  crown,  I 
have  immortal  longings  in  me,"  and  the  rest. 
The  music  not  only  pays  all  due  reverence 
to  the  sacred  text,  but  is  inspired  by  it,  and 
reaches  great  heights  of  fervor  and  tragedy. 
From  Shakespeare,  Huss  drew  the  afflation 
for  another  aria  of  great  interest,  a  setting 
for  barytone  voice  of  the  "  Seven  Ages  of 
Man."     The  problems  attending  the  putting 


298    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

to  music  of  Shakespeare's  text  are  severe ; 
but  the  plays  are  gold  mines  of  treasure  for 
the  properly  equipped  musician. 

A  vivid  example  of  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  American  composers'  securing  an 
orchestral  hearing  is  seen  in  the  experience 
of  Howard  Brockway,  who  had  a  symphony 
performed  in  1895  by  the  Berlin  Philhar- 
monic Orchestra,  and  has  been  unable  to 
get  a  hearing  or  get  the  work  performed  in 
America  during  the  five  years  following,  in 
spite  of  the  brilliancy  of  the  composition. 
The  scoring  of  the  work  is  so  mature  that 
one  can  see  its  skill  by  a  mere  glance  at  the 
page  from  a  distance.  When  the  work  was 
performed  in  Germany,  it  was  received  with 
pronounced  favor  by  the  Berlin  critics,  who 
found  in  it  a  conspicuous  absence  of  all  those 
qualities  which  the  youth  of  the  composer 
would  have  made  natural. 

Brockway  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  Novem- 
ber 22,   1870,  and  studied  piano  with  H,  O. 


The  Colonists.  299 

C.  Kortheuer  from  1887  to  1889.  He  went 
to  Berlin  at  the  age  of  twenty  and  studied 
the  piano  with  Barth,  and  composition  with 
O.  B.  Boise,  the  transplanted  American. 
Boise  gave  Brockway  so  thorough  a  train- 
ing that  he  may  be  counted  one  of  the  most 
fluent  and  completely  equipped  American 
composers.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he 
had  finished  his  symphony  (op.  12),  a  bal- 
lade for  orchestra  (op.  11),  and  a  vioHn  and 
piano  sonata  (op.  9),  as  well  as  a  cavatina 
for  violin  and  orchestra.  These,  with  certain 
piano  solos,  were  given  at  a  concert  of  Brock- 
way's  own  works  in  February,  1895,  at  the 
Sing-Akademie.  His  works  were  accepted 
as  singularly  mature,  and  promising  as  well. 
A  few  months  later,  Brockway  returned  to 
New  York,  where  he  has  since  lived  as  a 
teacher  and  performer. 

His  symphony,  which  is  in  D  major,  is  so 
ebullient  with  life  that  its  dashing  first  sub- 
ject cannot  brook  more  than  a  few  measures 


300    Contemporary  American  Composers, 

of  slow  introduction.  The  second  subject  is 
simpler,  but  no  less  joyous.  The  thematic 
work  is  scholarly  and  enthusiastic  at  the 
same  time.  The  different  movements  of 
the  symphony  are,  however,  not  themati- 
cally  related,  save  that  the  coda  of  the  last 
movement  is  a  reminiscence  of  the  auxiliary 
theme  of  the  first  movement.  The  andante, 
in  which  the  'cellos  are  very  lyrical,  is  a 
tender  and  musing  mood.  The  presto  is 
flashing  with  life  and  has  a  trio  of  rollick- 
ing, even  whooping,  jubilation.  The  finale 
begins  gloomily  and  martially,  and  it  is  suc- 
ceeded by  a  period  of  beauty  and  grace. 
This  movement,  in  fact,  is  a  remarkable 
combination  of  the  exquisitest  beauty  and 
most  unrestrained  prowess. 

Another  orchestral  work  of  great  impor- 
tance in  American  music  is  the  "  Sylvan 
Suite"  (op.  19),  which  is  also  arranged  for 
the  piano.  In  this  work  the  composer  has 
shown  a  fine  discretion  and  conservation  in 


The  Colonists.  301 

the  use  of  the  instruments,  making  liberal 
employment  of  small  choirs  for  long  periods. 
The  work  is  programmatic  in  psychology 
only.  It  begins  with  a  "Midsummer  Idyl," 
which  embodies  the  drowsy  petulance  of  hot 
noon.  The  second  number  is  "  Will  o'  the 
Wisps."  In  this  a  three-voiced  fugue  for  the 
strings,  wood,  and  one  horn  has  been  used 
with  legitimate  effect  and  most  teasing,  fleet- 
ing whimsicality.  The  third  movement  is  a 
slow  waltz,  called  "  The  Dance  of  the  Sylphs," 
a  very  catchy  air,  swaying  delicately  in  the  bas- 
soons and  'cello  ;  a  short  "  Evening  Song  "  is 
followed  by  "Midnight."  This  is  a  parade 
that  reminds  one  strongly  of  Gottschalk's 
"Marche  de  Nuit."  The  march  movement 
is  followed  by  an  interlude  depicting  the 
mystery  of  night,  as  Virgil  says,  "  tremulo 
sub  Itimine."  The  composer  has  endeavored 
to  indicate  the  chill  gray  of  dawn  by  the  end- 
ing of  this  movement :  a  chord  taken  by  two 
flutes  and  the  strings  shivering  siil ponticello. 


302    Contetnporary  American  Composers. 

The  last  movement  is  "At  Daybreak."  Out 
of  the  gloom  of  the  bassoons  grows  a  broad 
and  general  luminous  song  followed  by  an 
interlude  of  the  busy  hum  of  life ;  this  is 
succeeded  by  the  return  of  the  sunrise 
theme  with  a  tremendously  vivacious  ac- 
companiment. 

Other  works  of  Brockway's  are  : .  a  cantata, 
a  set  of  variations,  a  ballade,  a  nocturne,  a 
Characterstiick,  a  Fantasiestuck,  a  set  of  four 
piano  pieces  (op.  21),  and  two  piano  pieces 
(op.  25).  All  of  these,  except  the  cantata, 
have  been  published.  Two  part  songs  and 
two  songs  with  piano  accompaniment  have 
also  been  published ;  a  violin  sonata,  a  Mo- 
ment Musicale,  and  a  romanza  for  violin  and 
orchestra  have  been  published  in  Berlin. 

These  works  all  show  a  decided  tendency 
to  write  brilliant  and  difficult  music,  but  the 
difficulties  are  legitimate  to  the  effect  and 
the  occasion.  The  Ballade  works  up  a  very 
powerful  climax ;   the  Scherzino  swishes  fas- 


The  Colonists. 


303 


Copyright,  1894,  by  Scblesinger'sche  Buch  und  Mueikhandlung  (Rob.  Laenau), 
FRAGMENT   OF   A    "BALLADE"    BY    HOWARD    BROCKWAY. 


304    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

cinatingly ;  and  the  Romanza  for  piano  is  a 
notably  mature  and  serious  work. 

Two  ballads  have  made  the  so  romantic 
name  of  Harry  Rowe  Shelley  a  household 
word  in  America.  They  are  the  setting  of 
Tom  Moore's  fiery  "  Minstrel  Boy,"  and  a 
strange  jargon  of  words  called  "  Love's 
Sorrow,"  In  both  cases  the  music  is  in- 
tense and  full  of  fervor,  and  quick  popularity 
rarely  goes  out  to  more  worthy  songs. 


But  Shelley  would  doubtless  prefer  to  be 
judged  by  work  to  which  he  has  given  more 
of  his  art  and  his  interest  than  to  the  many 


The  Colonists.  305 

songs  that  he  has  tossed  off  in  the  light 
name  of  popularity. 

Shelley's  life  has  been  largely  devoted  to 
church  work.  Born  in  New  Haven,  Conn., 
June  8,  1858,  and  taught  music  by  Gustav 
J.  Stoeckel,  he  came  under  the  tuition  of 
Dudley  Buck  for  seven  years.  His  twen- 
tieth year  found  him  an  organist  at  New 
Haven.  Three  years  later  he  went  to 
Brooklyn  in  the  same  capacity.  He  was 
the  organist  at  Plymouth  Church  for  some 
time  before  Henry  Ward  Beecher's  death. 
Since  1887  he  has  been  at  the  Church  of  the 
Pilgrims.  He  visited  Europe  in  1887  and 
studied  under  Dvdrak  when  the  Bohemian 
master  was  here. 

Shelley's  largest  works  have  been  an 
opera,  "  Leila,"  still  in  manuscript,  a  sym- 
phonic poem,  "  The  Crusaders,"  a  dramatic 
overture,  "  Francesca  da  Rimini,"  a  sacred 
oratorio,  "  The  Inheritance  Divine,"  a  suite 
for  orchestra,  a  fantasy  for  piano  and  orches- 


3o6    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

tra  (written  for  Rafael  Joseffy),  a  one-act 
musical  extravaganza,  a  three-act  lyric 
drama,  and  a  virile  symphony.  The  suite 
is  called  "  Souvenir  de  Baden-Baden."  It  is 
a  series  of  highly  elaborated  trifles  of  much 
gaiety,  and  includes  a  lively  "Morning 
Promenade,"  a  dreamy  "  Siesta,"  a  "  Con- 
versationshaus  Ball,"  and  a  quaint  "  Sere- 
nade Orientale "  that  shows  the  influence 
of  Mozart's  and  Beethoven's  marches  alia 
turca.  The  orchestration  of  this  work  I 
have  never  heard  nor  seen.  Its  arrange- 
ment for  four  hands,  however,  is  excellently 
done,  with  commendable  attention  to  the 
interests  of  the  secondo  player. 

The  cantata  is  called  "The  Inheritance 
Divine,"  and  it  is  much  the  best  thing 
Shelley  has  done.  It  begins  with  a  long, 
slow  crescendo  on  the  word  "Jerusalem," 
which  is  very  forceful.  Shelley  responds 
to  an  imaginary  encore,  however,  and  the 
word  becomes  little  more  than  an  expletive. 


The  Colonists.  307 

Page  7  —  to  refer  more  conveniently  than 
technically  —  is  marked  by  sonorous  har- 
monies of  especial  nobility.  Now  begins  a 
new  idea  worked  up  with  increased  richness 
and  growing  fervor  to  a  sudden  magnificence 
of  climax  in  the  second  measure  on  page  1 1. 
The  final  phrase,  strengthened  by  an  organ- 
point  on  two  notes,  is  fairly  thrilling.  A 
tenor  solo  follows,  its  introductory  recitative 
containing  many  fine  things,  its  aria  being 
smoothly  melodious.  A  chorus,  of  warm 
harmonies  and  a  remarkably  beautiful  and 
unexpected  ending,  is  next  ;  after  which  is 
a  sombre,  but  impressive  alto  solo.  The 
two  successive  choruses,  the  quartette,  and 
the  soprano  solo  catch  the  composer  nod- 
ding. The  bass  solo  is  better  ;  the  final 
chorus  brings  us  back  to  the  high  plane. 
Page  62  is  particularly  big  of  spirit,  and 
from  here  on  the  chorus  climbs  fiery  heights. 
In  spite  of  Berlioz'  famous  parody  on  the 
"  Amen  "    fugues,    in    the    "  Damnation    of 


308    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Faust,"  Shelley  has  used  the  word  over  a 
score  of  times  in  succession  to  finish  his 
work.  But  altogether  the  work  is  one  of 
maturity  of  feeling  and  expression,  and  it  is 
a  notable  contribution  to  American  sacred 
music. 

In  1898  "Death  and  Life  "  was  published. 
It  opens  with  a  dramatic  chorus  sung  by  the 
mob  before  the  cross,  and  it  ends  daringly 
with  a  unisonal  descent  of  the  voices  that 
carries  even  the  sopranos  down  to  A  natural. 
In  the  duet  between  Christ  and  Mary,  seek- 
ing where  they  have  laid  her  Son,  the  libret- 
tist has  given  Christ  a  versified  paraphrase 
which  is  questionable  both  as  to  taste  and 
grammar.  The  final  chorus,  however,  has 
a  stir  of  spring  fire  that  makes  the  work 
especially  appropriate  for   Easter  services. 

The  cantata  "Vexilla  Regis"  is  notable 
for  its  martial  opening  chorus,  the  bass  solo, 
"Where  deep  for  us  the  spear  was  dyed," 
and  its  scholarly  and  effective  ending. 


The  Colonists.  309 

A  lapidary's  skill  and  delight  for  working 
in  small  forms  belongs  to  Gerrit  Smith.  His 
"  Aquarelles  "  are  a  good  example  of  his  art 
in  bijouterie.  This  collection  includes  eight 
songs  and  eight  piano  sketches.  The  first, 
"  A  Lullaby,"  begins  with  the  unusual  skip 
of  a  ninth  for  the  voice.  A  subdued  accen- 
tuation is  got  by  the  syncopation  of  the  bass, 
and  the  yearning  tenderness  of  the  ending 
finishes  an  exquisite  song.  "  Dream- wings  " 
is  a  graceful  fantasy  that  fittingly  presents 
the  delicate  sentiment  of  Coleridge'  lyrics. 
The  setting  of  Heine's  "  Fir-tree"  is  entirely 
worthy  to  stand  high  among  the  numerous 
settings  of  this  lyric.  Smith  gets  the  air  of 
desolation  of- the  bleak  home  of  the  fir-tree 
by  a  cold  scale  of  harmony,  and  a  bold  sim- 
plicity of  accompaniment.  The  home  of  the 
equally  lonely  palm-tree  is  strongly  con- 
trasted by  a  tropical  luxuriance  of  inter- 
lude and  accompaniment. 

The  sixth  song  is  a  delightful  bit  of  bril- 


3IO    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

liant  music,  but  it  is  quite  out  of  keeping 
with  the  poem.  Thus  on  the  words,  "  Mar- 
gery's only  three,"  there  is  a  fierce  cHmax 
fitting  an  Oriental  declaration  of  despair. 
The  last  of  these  songs,  "Put  by  the  Lute," 
is  possibly  Smith's  best  work.  It  is  superb 
from  beginning  to  end.  It  opens  with  a 
most  unhackneyed  series  of  preludizing 
arpeggios,  whence  it  breaks  into  a  swinging 
lyric,  strengthened  into  passion  by  a  vigorous 
contra-melody  in  the  bass.  Throughout,  the 
harmonies  are  most  original,  effective,  and 
surprising. 

Of  the  eight  instrumental  pieces  in  this 
book,  the  exquisite  and  fluent  "  Impromptu  " 
is  the  best  after  the  "  Cradle  Song,"  which  is 
drowsy  with  luscious  harmony  and  contains  a 
passage  come  organo  of  such  noble  sonority 
as  to  put  it  a  whit  out  of  keeping  with  a 
child's  lullaby. 

Smith  was  born  December  ii,  1859,  at 
Hagerstown,  Md.     His  first  instruction  was 


The  Colonists.  3 1 1 

gained  in  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  from  a  pupil  of 
Moscheles.  He  began  composition  early, 
and  works  of  his  written  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen were  performed  at  his  boarding-school. 
He  graduated  at  Hobart  College  in  1876, 
whence  he  went  to  Stuttgart  to  study  music 
and  architecture.  A  year  later  he  was  in 
New  York  studying  the  organ  with  Samuel 
P.  Warren.  He  was  appointed  organist  at 
St.  Paul's,  Buffalo,  and  studied  during  the 
summer  with  Eugene  Thayer,  and  William 
H.  Sherwood.  In  1880  he  went  again  to 
Germany,  and  studied  organ  under  Haupt, 
and  theory  under  Rohde,  at  Berlin.  On  his 
return  to  America  he  took  the  organ  at  St. 
Peter's,  in  Albany.  Later  he  came  to  New 
York,  where  he  has  since  remained  continu- 
ously, except  for  concert  tours  and  journeys 
abroad.  He  has  played  the  organ  in  the 
most  important  English  and  Continental 
towns,  and  must  be  considered  one  of  our 
most    prominent    concert   organists.     He    is 


312    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

both  a  Master  of  Arts  and  a  Doctor  of 
Music.  As  one  of  the  founders,  and  for 
many  years  the  president,  of  the  Manu- 
script Society,  he  was  active  in  obtaining 
a  hearing  for  much  native  music  otherwise 
mute. 

In  addition  to  a  goodly  number  of  Easter 
carols,  Christmas  anthems,  Te  Deums,  and 
such  smaller  forms  of  religious  music,  Smith 
has  written  a  sacred  cantata,  "King  David." 
Aside  from  this  work,  which  in  orchestration 
and  in  general  treatment  shows  undoubted 
skill  for  large  effort,  Doctor  Smith's  compo- 
sition has  been  altogether  along  the  smaller 
lines. 

The  five-song'd  opus  14  shows  well  ma- 
tured lyric  power,  and  an  increase  in  fervor 
of  emotion.  Bourdillon's  "The  Night  Has  a 
Thousand  Eyes,"  which  can  never  be  too 
much  set  to  music,  receives  here  a  truly 
superb  treatment.  The  interlude,  which  also 
serves   for     finale,    is    especially    ravishing. 


The  Colonists.  313 

"  Heart  Longings "  is  one  of  Mr.  Smith's 
very  best  successes.  It  shows  a  free  passion 
and  a  dramatic  fire  unusual  for  his  rather 
quiet  muse.  The  setting  of  Bourdillon's  fine 
lyric  is  indeed  so  stirring  that  it  deserves  a 
high  place  among  modern  songs.  "  Melody  " 
is  a  lyric  not  without  feeling,  but  yet  inclu- 
sive of  most  of  Smith's  faults.  Thus  the 
prelude,  which  is  a  tritely  flowing  allegro, 
serves  also  for  interlude  as  well  as  postlude, 
and  the  air  and  accompaniment  of  both 
stanzas  are  unvaried,  save  at  the  cadence  of 
the  latter  stanza.  The  intense  poesy  of 
Anna  Reeve  Aldrich,  a  poetess  cut  short  at 
the  very  budding  of  unlimited  promise,  de- 
served better  care  than  this  from  a  musician. 
Two  of  Smith's  works  were  published  in 
Millet's  "Half-hours  with  the  Best  Com- 
posers," —  one  of  the  first  substantial  recog- 
nitions of  the  American  music-writer.  A 
"  Romance,"  however,  is  the  best  and  most 
elaborate  of  his  piano  pieces,  and  is  altogether 


314    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


Spring. 

Vof  «•  »y  Alfred  TeiuTtoa. 


OERRIT  SMITH,OP.  13.^1 


AHegtO. 


Copyright,  1894,  by  Arthur  P.  Schoiidt. 

A    FRAGMENT. 


The  Colonists.  315 

an  exquisite  fancy.  His  latest  work,  a  cycle 
of  ten  pieces  for  the  piano,  "A  Colorado 
Summer,"  is  most  interesting.  The  pieces 
are  all  lyrical  and  simple,  but  they  are  full  of 
grace  and  new  colors. 

But  Smith's  most  individual  work  is  his  set 
of  songs  for  children,  which  are  much  com- 
pared, and  favorably,  with  Reinecke's  work 
along  the  same  hnes.  These  are  veritable 
masterpieces  of  their  sort,  and  they  are  mainly 
grouped  into  opus  12,  called  "Twenty-five 
Song  Vignettes." 

So  well  are  they  written  that  they  are  a 
safe  guide,  and  worthy  that  supreme  trust, 
the  first  formation  of  a  child's  taste.  Even 
dissonances  are  used,  sparingly  but  bravely 
enough  to  give  an  idea  of  the  different  ele- 
ments that  make  music  something  more  than 
a  sweetish  impotence,  They  are  vastly  dif- 
ferent from  the  horrible  trash  children  are 
usually  brought  up  on,  especially  in  our 
American  schools,    to   the   almost  incurable 


3i6    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

perversion  of  their  musical  tastes.  They  are 
also  so  full  of  refinement,  and  of  that  humor 
without  which  children  cannot  long  be  held, 
that  they  are  of  complete  interest  also  to 
"grown-ups,"  to  whom  alone  the  real  artistic 
value  of  these  songs  can  entirely  transpire. 
Worthy  of  especial  mention  are  the  delicious 
"  Stars  and  Angels ; "  the  delightful  "  A 
Carriage  to  Ride  In  ;  "  "  Good  King  Arthur," 
a  captivating  melody,  well  built  on  an  accom- 
paniment of  "  God  Save  the  King  ;  "  "  Birdie's 
Burial,"  an  elegy  of  the  most  sincere  pathos, 
quite  worthy  of  a  larger  cause,  —  if,  indeed, 
any  grief  is  greater  than  the  first  sorrows  of 
childhood ;  the  surprisingly  droll  "  Barley 
Romance  ;  "  "  The  Broom  and  the  Rod,"  with 
its  programmatic  glissandos  to  give  things  a 
clean  sweep  ;  and  other  delights  like  the 
"Rain  Song,"  "The  Tomtit  Gray,"  "Mam- 
ma's Birthday,"  and  "  Christmas  at  the 
Door."  To  have  given  these  works  their 
present    value    and    perfection,    is    to    have 


The  Colonists.  317 

accomplished    a  far   greater   thing  than  the 
writing  of  a  dozen  tawdry  symphonies. 

One  of  the  most  outrageously  popular 
piano  pieces  ever  published  in  America  was 
Homer  N.  Bartlett's  "  Grande  Polka  de  Con- 
cert." It  was  his  opus  i,  written  years  ago, 
and  he  tells  me  that  he  recently  refused  a 
lucrative  commission  to  write  fantasies 
on  "Nearer  My  God  to  Thee"  and  "The 
Old  Oaken  Bucket " !  So  now  that  he 
has  reformed,  grown  wise  and  signed  the 
musical  pledge,  one  must  forgive  him  those 
wild  oats  from  which  he  reaped  royal- 
ties, and  look  to  the  genuine  and  sincere 
work  he  has  latterly  done.  Let  us  begin, 
say,  with  opus  38,  a  "Polonaise"  that  out- 
Herods  Chopin  in  bravura,  but  is  full  of 
vigor  and  well  held  together.  A  "  Dance 
of  the  Gnomes,"  for  piano,  is  also  arranged 
for  a  sextet,  the  arrangement  being  a  develop- 
ment, not  a  bare  transcription.  There  are 
two  mazurkas  (op.  71),  the  first  very  original 


3i8    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

and  happy.  "^olian  Murmurings "  is  a 
superb  study  in  high  color,  A  "  Caprice  Es- 
panol "  is  a  bravura  realization  of  Spanish 
frenzy.  It  has  also  been  brilliantly  orches- 
trated. Two  songs  without  words  make  up 
opus  96  :  while  "  Meditation  "  shows  too  evi- 
dent meditation  on  Wagner,  "  A  Love  Song  " 
gets  quite  away  from  musical  bourgeoisery. 
It  is  free,  spirited,  even  daring.  It  is  patently 
less  devoted  to  theme-development  than  to 
the  expression  of  an  emotion.  This  "  Love 
Song  "  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  American 
morceaux,  and  is  altogether  commendable. 

Opus  107  includes  three  "  characteristic 
pieces."  "The  Zephyr"  is  dangerously  like 
Chopin's  fifteenth  Prelude,  with  a  throbbing 
organ-point  on  the  same  A  flat.  On  this 
alien  foundation,  however,  Bartlett  has  built 
with  rich  harmony.  The  "  Harlequin "  is 
graceful  and  cheery.  It  ends  with  Rubin- 
stein's sign  and  seal,  an  arpeggio  in  sixths, 
which  is  as  trite  a  musical  finis  as  fiction's 


The  Colonists.  319 

"  They  lived  happily  ever  afterward,  sur- 
rounded by  a  large  circle  of  admiring  friends." 

Three  mazurkas  constitute  opus  125.  They 
are  closely  modelled  on  Chopin,  and  naturally 
lack  the  first-handedness  of  these  works,  in 
which,  almost  alone,  the  Pole  was  witty. 
But  Bartlett  has  made  as  original  an  imita- 
tion as  possible.  The  second  is  particularly 
charming. 

In  manuscript  is  a  Prelude  developed 
interestingly  on  well-understood  lines.  There 
is  a  superb  "  Reverie  Poetique."  It  is  that 
climax  of  success,  a  scholarly  inspiration. 
To  the  meagre  body  of  American  scherzos, 
Bartlett's  scherzo  will  be  very  welcome.  It 
is  very  festive  and  very  original.  Its  richly 
harmonized  interlude  shows  a  complete  eman- 
cipation from  the  overpowering  influence  of 
Chopin,  and  a  great  gain  in  strength  as  well 
as  individuality. 

In  his  songs  Bartlett  attains  a  quality  uni- 
formly higher  than  that  of  his  piano  pieces. 


320    Coiitempvrary  Aniericati  Composers. 

"  Moonbeams "  has  many  delicacies  of  har- 
mony. "  Laughing  Eyes  "  is  a  fitting  setting 
of  Mr.  "  Nym  Crinkle "  Wheeler's  exquisite 
lyric.  "  Come  to  Me,  Dearest,"  while  cheap  in 
general  design,  has  fine  details. 

It  makes  me  great  dole  to  have  to  praise  a 
song  about  a  brooklet  ;  but  the  truth  is,  that 
Bartlett's  "I  Hear  the  Brooklet's  Murmur  "  is 
superbly  beautiful,  wild  with  regret,  —  a  noble 
song.  It  represents  the  late  German  type  of 
Lied,  as  the  earlier  heavy  style  is  exemplified 
in  "  Good  Night,  Dear  One."  Very  Teutonic 
also  is  the  airiness  and  grace  of  "  Rosebud." 

To  that  delightful  collection  of  children's 
songs,  "The  St.  Nicholas  Song  Book," 
Bartlett  contributed  largely.  All  of  his  lyrics 
are  delicious,  and  "  I  Had  a  Little  Pony " 
should  become  a  nursery  classic. 

In  his  "Lord  God,  Hear  My  Prayer," 
Bartlett  throws  down  the  gauntlet  to  the 
Bach-Gounod  "Ave  Maria,"  with  results 
rather    disastrous.       He    chooses    a    Cramer 


The  Colonists.  321 

6tude,  and  adds  to  it  parts  for  voice,  violin, 
and  organ.  While  Gounod  seems  passionate 
and  unrestrained,  Bartlett  shows  his  caution 
and  his  cage  at  every  step.  A  Cramer  etude 
is  among  the  most  melancholy  things  of  earth 
anyway.  "Jehovah  Nissi "  is  an  excellent 
sacred  march  chorus  that  won  a  prize,  and 
there  is  a  cantata,  "  The  Last  Chieftain." 
Bartlett' s  cantata  is  without  efforts  at  Indian 
color,  but  is  a  solid  work  with  much  dignity, 
barbaric  severity,  and  fire. 

Bartlett  was  born  at  Olive,  N.  Y.,  Decem- 
ber 28,  1846.  His  ancestry  runs  far  back 
into  New  England,  his  mother  being  a 
descendant  of  John  Rogers,  the  martyr. 
Bartlett  is  said  to  have  "  lisped  in  numbers," 
singing  correctly  before  he  could  articulate 
words.  The  violin  was  his  first  love,  and  at  • 
the  age  of  eight  he  was  playing  in  public 
He  took  up  the  piano  and  organ  also,  and  in 
his  fourteenth  year  was  a  church  organist. 
He  studied  the  piano  with  S.  B.  Mills,  Emil 


322   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Guyon  (a  pupil  of  Thalberg),  and  Alfred  Pease. 
The  organ  and  composition  he  studied  with 
O.  F.  Jacobsen  and  Max  Braun.  With  the 
exception  of  a  musical  pilgrimage  in  1887, 
Bartlett  has  not  come  nearer  the  advantages 
of  Europe  than  study  here  under  men  who 
studied  there.  He  has  resided  for  many 
years  in  New  York  as  organist  and  teacher. 
As  a  composer  he  has  been  one  of  our  most 
prolific  music-makers.  His  work  shows  a 
steady  development  in  value,  and  the  best  is 
doubtless  yet  to  come. 

He  finds  a  congenial  field  in  the  orchestra. 
Seidl  played  his  instrumentation  of  Chopin's 
"  Military  Polonaise  "  several  times.  As  the 
work  seemed  to  need  a  finale  in  its  larger 
form,  Bartlett  took  a  liberty  whose  success  was 
its  justification,  and  added  a  finish  made  up 
of  the  three  principal  themes  interwoven.  A 
recent  work  is  his  "  Concertstiick,"  for  violin 
and  orchestra.  It  is  not  pianistic  in  instru- 
mentation,   and    will     appeal    to    violinists. 


The  Colonists.  323 

While  not  marked  with  r/cherch^s  vioHn  tricks, 
or  violent  attempts  at  bravura,  it  has  both 
brilliance  and  solidity,  and  is  delightfully 
colored  in  orchestration.  There  are  no 
pauses  between  the  movements,  but  they 
are  well  varied  in  their  unity. 

There  is  an  unfinished  oratorio,  "  Samuel," 
an  incomplete  opera,  "  Hinotito,"  and  a  cantata 
of  which  only  the  tenor  solo,  "  Khamsin,"  is 
done.  This  is  by  far  the  best  work  Bartlett 
has  written,  and  displays  unexpected  dramatic 
powers.  The  variation  of  the  episodes  of  the 
various  phases  of  the  awful  drought  to  the 
climax  in  "The  Plague,"  make  up  a  piece  of 
most  impressive  strength.  The  orchestration 
is  remarkably  fine  with  effect,  color,  and 
variety.  If  the  cantata  is  finished  on  this 
scale,  its  production  will  be  a  national  event. 

The  New  England  farmer  is  usually  taken 
as  a  type  of  sturdy  Philistinism  in  artistic 
matters.  It  was  a  most  exceptional  good 
fortune  that  gave  C.  B.  Hawley  a  father  who 


324    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

added  to  the  dignity  of  being  a  tiller  of  the 
soil  the  refinements  of  great  musical  taste 
and  skill.  His  house  at  Brookfield,  Conn., 
contained  not  only  a  grand  piano,  but  a  pipe 
organ  as  well ;  and  Hawley's  mother  was 
blessed  with  a  beautiful  and  cultivated  voice. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  (he  was  born  St. 
Valentine's  Day,  1858)  Hawley  was  a  church 
organist  and  the  conductor  of  musical  affairs 
in  the  Cheshire  Military  Academy,  from 
which  he  graduated.  He  went  to  New  York 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  studying  the  voice 
with  George  James  Webb,  Rivarde,  Foeder- 
lein,  and  others,  and  composition  with  Dudley 
Buck,  Joseph  Mosenthal,  and  Rutenber. 

His  voice  brought  him  the  position  of  solo- 
ist at  the  Calvary  Episcopal  Church,  at  the 
age  of  eighteen.  Later  he  became  assistant 
organist  at  St.  Thomas'  Episcopal  Church, 
under  George  William  Warren.  For  the  last 
fourteen  years  he  has  had  charge  of  the  sum- 
mer music  at  St.  James  Chapel,  in  Elberon, 


The  Colonists.  325 

the  chapel  attended  by  Presidents  Grant  and 
Garfield.  For  seventeen  years  he  has  been 
one  of  the  leading  spirits  of  the  Mendelssohn 
Glee  Club,  and  for  ten  years  a  member  of  the 
Mendelssohn  Quartet  Club.  Most  of  his 
part  songs  were  written  for  the  club  and  first 
sung  at  its  concerts.  He  is  also  a  successful 
teacher  of  the  voice,  and  has  been  too  busy 
to  write  a  very  large  volume  of  compositions. 
But  those  published  show  the  authentic  fire. 
Notable  features  of  Hawley's  composi- 
tions are  the  taking  quality  of  the  melody,  its 
warm  sincerity,  and  the  unobtrusive  opulence 
in  color  of  the  accompaniment.  This  is 
less  like  an  answering,  independent  voice 
than  like  a  many-hued,  velvety  tapestry,  back- 
grounding a  beautiful  statue.  It  is  only  on 
second  thought  and  closer  study  that  one 
sees  how  well  concealed  is  the  careful  and 
laborious  polish  ad  nngiiem  of  every  chord. 
This  is  the  true  art  of  song,  where  the  lyrics 
should     seem    to   gush    spontaneously    forth 


326    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

from  a  full  heart  and  yet  repay  the  closer 
dissection  that  shows  the  intellect  perfecting 
the  voice  of  emotion. 

Take,  for  example,  his  "  Lady  Mine,"  a 
brilliant  rhapsody,  full  of  the  spring,  and  en- 
riched with  a  wealth  of  color  in  the  accom- 
paniment till  the  melody  is  half  hidden  in  a 
shower  of  roses.  It  required  courage  to 
make  a  setting  of  "  Ah,  'Tis  a  Dream  !  "  so 
famous  through  Lassen's  melody ;  but  Haw- 
ley  has  said  it  in  his  own  way  in  an  air 
thrilled  with  longing  and  an  accompaniment 
as  full  of  shifting  colors  as  one  of  the  native 
sunsets.  I  can't  forbear  one  obiter  dictum 
on  this  poem.  It  has  never  been  so  trans- 
lated as  to  reproduce  its  neatest  bit  of  fancy. 
In  the  original  the  poet  speaks  of  meeting 
in  dreams  a  fair-eyed  maiden  who  greeted 
him  "auf  Deutsch"  and  kissed  him  "auf 
Deutsch,"  but  the  translations  all  evade  the 
kiss  in  German. 

"  The    Ring,"    bounding    with    the    glad 


The  Colonists.  327 

frenzy  of  a  betrothed  lover,  has  a  soaring 
finale,  and  is  better  endowed  with  a  well 
polished  accompaniment  than  the  song,  "  Be- 
cause I  Love  You,  Dear,"  which  is  not  with- 
out its  good  points  in  spite  of  its  manifest 
appeal  to  a  more  popular  taste.  "  My  Little 
Love,"  "An  Echo,"  "Spring's  Awakening," 
and  "Where  Love  Doth  Build  His  Nest,"  are 
conceived  in  Hawley's  own  vein. 

The  song,  "Oh,  Haste  Thee,  Sweet,"  has 
some  moments  of  banality,  but  more  of 
novelty ;  the  harmonic  work  being  unusual  at 
times,  especially  in  the  rich  garb  of  the 
words,  "  It  groweth  late."  In  "  I  Only 
Can  Love  Thee,"  Hawley  has  succeeded  in 
conquering  the  incommensurateness  of  Mrs. 
Browning's  sonnet  by  alternating  6-8  and  9-8 
rhythms.  His  "  Were  I  a  Star,"  is  quite  a 
perfect  lyric. 

Of  his  part  songs,  all  are  good,  some  are 
masterly.  Here  he  colors  with  the  same 
lavish   but   softly   blending    touch   as   in  his 


328   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

solos.  "  My  Luve's  Like  a  Red,  Red  Rose" 
is  altogether  delightful,  containing  as  it  does 
a  suggestion  of  the  old  formalities  and 
courtly  graces  of  the  music  of  Lawes,  whose 
songs  Milton  sonneted.  I  had  always  thought 
that  no  musician  could  do  other  than  paint 
the  lily  in  attempting  to  add  music  to  the 
music  of  Tennyson's  "  Bugle  Song,"  but 
Hawley  has  come  dangerously  near  satis- 
faction in  the  elfland  faintness  and  dying 
clearness  of  his  voices. 

He  has  written  two  comic  glees,  one  of 
which,  "They  Kissed!  I  Saw  Them  Do  It," 
has  put  thousands  of  people  into  the  keenest 
mirth.  It  is  a  vocal  scherzo  for  men's  voices. 
It  begins  with  a  criminally  lugubrious  and 
thin  colloquy,  in  which  the  bass  dolefully 
informs  the  others :  "  Beneath  a  shady  tree 
they  sat,"  to  which  the  rest  agree  ;  "  He  held 
her  hand,  she  held  his  hat,"  which  meets 
with  general  consent.  Now  we  are  told  in 
stealthy  gasps,  "  I  held  my  breath  and  lay 


The  Colonists.  329 

right  flat."  Suddenly  out  of  this  thinness 
bursts  a  peal  of  richest  harmony:  "They 
kissed  !  I  saw  them  do  it."  It  is  repeated 
more  lusciously  still,  and  then  the  basses  and 
barytones  mouth  the  gossip  disapprovingly, 
and  the  poem  continues  with  delicious  rail- 
lery till  it  ends  abruptly  and  archly  :  "And 
they  thought  no  one  knew  it ! " 

Besides  these  scherzos,  Hawley  has  written 
a  few  religious  part  songs  of  a  high  order, 
particularly  the  noble  "Trisagion  and  v  San c- 
tus,"  with  its  "  Holy,  Holy !  "  now  hushed  in 
reverential  awe  and  now  pealing  in  exultant 
worship.  But  of  all  his  songs,  I  like  best  his 
"  When  Love  is  Gone,"  fraught  with  calm 
intensity,  and  closing  in  beauty  as  ineffable 
as  a  last  glimmer  of  dying  day. 

To  the  stencil-plate  chivalry  of  the  lyrics 
of  the  ubiquitous  F.  E.  Weatherby  and  John 
Oxenford,  the  song-status  of  England  can 
blame  a  deal  of  its  stagnation.  It  is  not  often 
that  these  word-wringers  have  enticed  Ameri- 


330   Contemporary  American  Composers. 
When  Love  is  gone. 


Copyright,  1894,  by  G.  Schirmer. 


The  Colonists.  331 

can  composers.  One  of  the  few  victims  is 
John  Hyatt  Brewer,  who  was  born  in  Brook- 
lyn, in  1856,  and  has  lived  there  ever  since. 

Brewer  made  his  debut  as  a  six-year-old 
singer,  and  sang  till  his  fourteenth  year. 
A  year  later  he  was  an  organist  in  Brooklyn, 
where  he  has  held  various  positions  in  the 
same  capacity  ever  since,  additionally  busying 
himself  as  a  teacher  of  voice,  piano,  organ, 
and  harmony.  His  studies  in  piano  and  har- 
mony were  pursued  under  Rafael  Navarro. 
Counterpoint,  fugue,  and  composition  he 
studied    under    Dudley    Buck. 

In  1878  Brewer  became  the  second  tenor 
and  accompanist  of  the  Apollo  Club,  of  which 
Mr.  Buck  is  the  director.  He  has  conducted 
numerous  vocal  societies  and  an  amateur 
orchestra. 

Of  his  cantatas,  "  Hesperus  "  is  a  work  of 
the  greatest  promise  and  large  performance. 

For  male  voices  Brewer  has  written  a  can- 
tata called  "The  Birth  of  Love."     Its  fiery 


332    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

ending  is  uncharacteristic,  but  the  beautiful 
tenor  solo  and  an  excellent  bass  song  prove 
his  forte  to  lie  in  the  realm  of  tenderness. 
Brewer's  music  has  little  fondness  for  cli- 
maxes, but  in  a  tender  pathos  that  is  not 
tragedy,  but  a  sort  of  lotos-eater's  dreami- 
ness and  regret,  he  is  congenially  placed. 
Smoothness  is  one  of  his  best  qualities. 

Out  of  a  number  of  part  songs  for  men, 
one  should  mark  a  vigorous  "  Fisher's  Song," 
a  "  May  Song,"  which  has  an  effective  "bar- 
ber's chord,"  and  "The  Katydid,"  a  witty 
realization  of  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes'  capti- 
vating poem.  His  "  Sensible  Serenade  "  has 
also  an  excellent  flow  of  wit.  Both  these 
songs  should  please  glee  clubs  and  their 
audiences. 

For  women's  voices  Brewer  has  written 
not  a  little.  The  best  of  these  are  "  Sea 
Shine,"  which  is  particularly  mellow,  and 
"Treachery,"  a  love-scherzo. 

For  the  violin  there  are  two  pieces :  one, 


The  Colonists.  333 

in  the  key  of  D,  is  a  duet  between  the  violin 
and  the  soprano  voice  of  the  piano.  It  is 
full  of  characteristic  tenderness,  full  even  of 
tears.  It  should  find  a  good  place  among 
those  violin  ballads  of  which  Raff's  Cavatina 
is  the  best-known  example.  Another  violin 
solo  in  A  is  more  florid,  but  is  well  managed. 
The  two  show  a  natural  aptitude  for  composi- 
tion for  this  favorite  of  all  instruments. 

For  full  orchestra  there  is  a  suite,  "The 
Lady  of  the  Lake,"  also  arranged  for  piano 
and  organ.  It  is  smooth  and  well-tinted.  A 
sextet  for  strings  and  flute  has  been  played 
with  favor. 

Brewer's  chief  success  lies  along  lines  of 
least  resistance,  one  might  say.  His  Album 
of  Songs  (op.  27)  is  a  case  in  point.  Of  the 
subtle  and  inevitable  "  Du  bist  wie  eine 
Blume,"  he  makes  nothing,  and  "The  Vio- 
let "  forces  an  unfortunate  contrast  with 
Mozart's  idyl  to  the  same  words.  But 
"  Meadow  Sweet "  is  simply  iridescent  with 


334    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

cheer,  a  most  unusually  sweet  song,  and 
"The  Heart's  Rest"  is  of  equal  perfection. 

The  best-abused  composer  in  America  is 
doubtless  Reginald  de  Koven.  His  great 
popularity  has  attracted  the  search-light  of 
minute  criticism  to  him,  and  his  accomplish- 
ments are  such  as  do  not  well  endure  the 
fierce  white  light  that  beats  upon  the  throne. 
The  sin  of  over-vivid  reminiscence  is  the 
one  most  persistently  imputed  to  him,  and 
not  without  cause.  While  I  see  no  reason  to 
accuse  him  of  deliberate  imitation,  I  think  he 
is  a  little  too  loth  to  excise  from  his  music 
those  things  of  his  that  prove  on  considera- 
tion to  have  been  said  or  sung  before  him. 
Instead  of  crying,  "  Pereant  qui  ante  nos 
nostra  cantaverimt^  he  believes  in  a  live- 
and-let-live  policy.  But  ah,  if  De  Koven 
were  the  only  composer  whose  eraser  does 
not  evict  all  that  his  memory  installs  ! 

De  Koven  was  born  at  Middletown,  Conn., 
in  1859,  and  enjoyed  unusual  advantages  for 


The  Colonists.  335 

musical  study  abroad.  At  the  age  of  eleven, 
he  was  taken  to  Europe,  where  he  lived  for 
twelve  years.  At  Oxford  he  earned  a  degree 
with  honors.  His  musical  instructors  include 
Speidel,  Lebert,  and  Pruckner,  at  Stuttgart, 
Huff  the  contrapuntist  at  Frankfort,  and 
Vannucini,  who  taught  him  singing,  at  Flor- 
ence. He  made  also  a  special  study  of  light 
opera  under  Genee  and  Von  Suppe.  He 
made  Chicago  his  home  in  1882,  afterward 
moving  to  New  York,  where  he  served  as 
a  musical  critic  on  one  of  the  daily  papers  for 
many  years. 

De  Koven  has  been  chief  purveyor  of 
comic  opera  to  his  generation,  and  for  so 
ideal  a  work  as  "  Robin  Hood,"  and  such 
pleasing  constructions  as  parts  of  his  other 
operas  ("  Don  Quixote,"  "  The  Fencing  Mas- 
ter," "  The  Highwayman,"  for  instance),  one 
ought  to  be  grateful,  especially  as  his  music 
has  always  a  certain  elegance  and  freedom 
from  vulgarity. 


2^6    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Of  his  ballads,  "Oh,  Promise  Me"  has  a 
few  opening  notes  that  remind  one  of 
"Musica  Proibita,"  but  it  was  a  taking 
lyric  that  stuck  in  the  public  heart.  His 
setting  of  Eugene  Field's  "  Little  Boy  Blue  " 
is  a  work  of  purest  pathos  and  directness. 
His  version  of  "My  Love  is  Like  a  Red, 
Red  Rose"  is  among  the  best  of  its  count- 
less settings,  and  "The  Fool  of  Pamper- 
lune,"  the  "  Indian  Love  Song,"  "  In  June," 
and  a  few  others,  are  excellent  ballad- 
writing. 

Victor  Harris  is  one  of  the  few  that  se- 
lected New  York  for  a  birthplace.  He  was 
born  here  April  27, 1 869,  and  attended  the  Col- 
lege of  the  City  of  New  York,  class  of  1888. 
For  several  of  his  early  years  he  was  well 
known  as  a  boy-soprano,  whence  he  grad- 
uated into  what  he  calls  the  "  usual  career  " 
of  organist,  pianist,  and  teacher  of  the  voice. 
In  1895  and  1896  he  acted  as  the  assistant 
conductor  to  Anton   Seidl    in  the   Brighton 


The  Colonists.  337 

Beach  summer  concerts.  He  learned  har- 
mony of  Frederick  SchilHng. 

Harris  is  most  widely  known  as  an  accom- 
panist, and  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  country. 
But  while  the  accompaniments  he  writes  to 
his  own  songs  are  carefully  polished  and  well 
colored,  they  lack  the  show  of  independence 
that  one  might  expect  from  so  unusual  a 
master  of  their  execution. 

Except  for  an  unpublished  one-act  operetta, 
"Mile.  Maie  et  M.  de  Sembre,"  and  a  few 
piano  pieces,  Harris  has  confined  himself 
to  the  writing  of  short  songs.  In  his  twenty- 
first  year  two  of  unequal  merits  were  pub- 
lished, "The  Fountains  Mingle  with  the 
River  "  being  a  taking  melody,  but  without 
distinction  or  originality,  while  "  Sweetheart  " 
has  much  more  freedom  from  conventionality 
and  inevitableness. 

A  later  song,  "My  Guest,"  shows  an  in- 
crease in  elaboration,  but  follows  the  florid 
school  of    Harrison   Millard's  once  so  popu- 


338    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

lar  rhapsody,  "Waiting."  Five  songs  are 
grouped  into  opus  12,  and  they  reach  a  much 
higher  finish  and  a  better  tendency  to  make 
excursions  into  other  keys.  They  also  show 
two  of  Harris'  mannerisms,  a  constant  repe- 
tition of  verbal  phrases  and  a  fondness  for 
writing  close,  unbroken  chords,  in  triplets  or 
quartoles.  "  A  Melody  "  is  beautiful ;  "  But- 
terflies and  Buttercups  "  is  the  perfection  of 
grace;  "I  Know  not  if  Moonlight  or  Star- 
light "  is  a  fine  rapture,  and  "A  Disappoint- 
ment "  is  a  dire  tragedy,  all  about  some 
young  toadstools  that  thought  they  were 
going  to  be  mushrooms.  For  postlude  two 
measures  from  the  cantabile  of  Chopin's 
"  Funeral  March  "  are  used  with  droll  effect. 
"  Love,  Hallo ! "  is  a  headlong  springtime 
passion.  Two  of  his  latest  songs  are  "  For- 
ever and  a  Day,"  with  many  original  touches, 
and  a  "  Song  from  Omar  Khayyam,"  which  is 
made  of  some  of  the  most  cynical  of  the  tent- 
maker's  quatrains.      Harris  has  given  them 


The  Colonists. 

To  N.  N.  H. 

Song  from  Omar  Khayyam.. 


339 


Copyright,  1898,  by  Edward  Schuberth  &  Co. 


340   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

all  their  power  and  bitterness  till  the  last 
line,  "The  flower  that  once  has  blown  for- 
ever dies,"  which  is  written  with  rare  beauty. 
"A  Night-song"  is  possibly  his  best  work; 
it  is  full  of  colors,  originalities,  and  lyric 
qualities.  Opus  1 3  contains  six  songs : 
"  Music  when  Soft  Voices  Die  "  has  many 
uncommon  and  effective  intervals ;  "  The 
Flower  of  Oblivion  "  is  more  dramatic  than 
usual,  employs  discords  boldly,  and  gives  the 
accompaniment  more  individuality  than  be- 
fore;  "A  Song  of  Four  Seasons"  is  a 
delicious  morsel  of  gaiety,  and  "  Love  within 
the  Lover's  Breast "  is  a  superb  song.  Har- 
ris has  written  some  choric  works  for  men 
and  women  also.  They  show  commendable 
attention  to  all  the  voice  parts. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  figures  in 
American  musical  history  has  been  Dr.  Will- 
iam Mason.  He  was  born  in  Boston,  Janu- 
ary 24,  1829,  and  was  the  son  of  Lowell 
Mason,  that  pioneer  in  American  composition. 


The  Colonists.  341 

Dr.  William  Mason  studied  in  Boston,  and  in 
Germany  under  Moscheles,  Hauptmann, 
Richter,  and  Liszt.  His  success  in  concerts 
abroad  and  here  gave  prestige  to  his  philos- 
ophy of  technic,  and  his  books  on  method 
have   taken    the    very    highest    rank. 

His  pedagogical  attainments  have  over- 
shadowed his  composition,  but  he  has  written 
some  excellent  music.  As  he  has  been  an 
educational  force  in  classical  music,  so  his 
compositions  show  the  severe  pursuit  of  clas- 
sic forms  and  ideas.  His  work  is,  therefore, 
rather  ingenious  than  inspired,  and  intellec- 
tual rather  than  emotional.  Yale  made  him 
Doctor  of  Music  in  1872. 

Another  composer  whose  studies  in  technic 
have  left  him  only  a  little  inclination  for  crea- 
tion is  Albert  Ross  Parsons,  who  was  born  at 
Sandusky,  O.,  September  16,  1847.  He 
studied  in  Buffalo,  and  in  New  York  under 
Ritter.  Then  he  went  to  Germany,  where 
he    had    a    remarkably    thorough    schooling 


342    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

under  Moscheles,  Reinecke,  Richter,  Paul, 
Taussig,  Kullak,  and  others.  Returning  to 
this  country,  he  has  busied  himself  as  organ- 
ist, teacher,  and  an  editor  of  musical  works. 
What  little  music  he  has  composed  shows  the 
fruit  of  his  erudition  in  its  correctness. 

Such  men  as  Doctor  Mason  and  Mr.  Par- 
sons, though  they  add  little  to  the  volume  of 
composition,  —  a  thing  for  which  any  one 
should  be  thanked  on  some  considerations,  — 
yet  add  great  dignity  to  their  profession  in 
this  country, 

Arthur,  a  younger  brother  of  Ethelbert 
Nevin,  shows  many  of  the  Nevinian  traits  of 
lyric  energy  and  harmonic  color  in  his  songs. 
He  was  born  at  Sewickley,  Pa.,  in  1871.  Until 
he  was  eighteen  he  had  neither  interest  nor 
knowledge  in  music.  In  1891  he  began  a 
four  years'  course  in  Boston,  going  thence  to 
Berlin,  where  his  masters  were  Klindworth 
and  Boise.  A  book  of  four  graceful  "  May 
Sketches "    has    been    published,    "  Pierrot's 


The  Colonists.  343 

Guitar"  being  especially  ingenious.  There 
are  two  published  songs,  "  Were  I  a  Tone  " 
and  "  In  Dreams,"  both  emotionally  rich.  In 
manuscript  are  a  fine  song,  "Free  as  the 
Tossing  Sea,"  and  a  well-devised  trio. 

A  successful  writer  of  songs  is  C.  Whitney 
Coombs.  He  was  born  in  Maine,  in  1864, 
and  went  abroad  at  the  age  of  fourteen. 
He  studied  the  piano  with  Speidel,  and  com- 
position with  Seiffritz,  in  Stuttgart,  for  five 
years,  and  pursued  his  studies  later  in  Dres- 
den under  Draessecke,  Janssen,  and  John. 
In  1887  he  became  organist  at  the  American 
Church  in  that  city,  returning  to  America 
in  1 89 1,  since  which  time  he  has  been  an 
organist  in  New  York. 

In  1 89 1  his  publication  begins  with  "My 
Love,"  an  excellent  lilt  on  lines  from  the 
Arabian.  Among  his  many  songs  a  few 
should  be  noted  :  the  "  Song  of  a  Summer 
Night  "  is  brilliant  and  poetic,  and  "  Alone  " 
is  marked  by  some  beautiful  contramelodic 


344    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

effects;  his  "Indian  Serenade"  is  a  gra- 
cious work. 

J.  Remington  Fairlamb  has  been  a  prolific 
composer.  He  was  bom  at  Philadelphia,  and 
at  fourteen  was  a  church  organist.  He 
studied  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire  and  in 
Italy ;  was  appointed  consul  at  Zurich  by 
President  Lincoln,  and  while  in  Stuttgart 
was  decorated  by  the  King  of  Wurtemburg 
with  the  "Great  Gold  Medal  of  Art  and 
Science "  for  a  Te  Deum  for  double  chorus 
and  orchestra.  Of  Fairlamb's  compositions, 
some  two  hundred  have  been  published, 
including  much  sacred  music  and  parts  of 
two  operas.  A  grand  opera,  "  Leonello,"  in 
five  acts,  and  a  mass  are  in  manuscript. 

Frank  Seymour  Hastings  has  found  in 
music  a  pleasant  avocation  from  finance,  and 
written  various  graceful  songs.  He  has  been 
active,  too,  in  the  effort  to  secure  a  proper 
production  of  grand  opera  in  English. 

Dr.    John    M.   Loretz,    of    Brooklyn,  is    a 


The  Colonists.  345 

veteran  composer,  and  has  passed  his  opus 
200.  He  has  written  much  sacred  music 
and  several  comic  operas. 

A  prominent  figure  in  New  York  music, 
though  only  an  occasional  composer,  is  Louis 
Raphael  Dressier,  one  of  the  six  charter 
members  of  the  Manuscript  Society,  and  long 
its  treasurer.  His  father  was  William  Dress- 
ier, one  of  the  leading  musicians  of  the 
earlier  New  York,  where  Mr.  Dressier  was 
born,  in  1861.  Dressier  studied  with  his 
father,  and  inherited  his  ability  as  a  profes- 
sional accompanist  and  conductor.  He  was 
the  first  to  produce  amateur  performances  of 
opera  in  New  York.  His  songs  are  marked 
with  sincerity  and  spontaneity. 

Richard  Henry  Warren  has  been  the  or- 
ganist at  St.  Bartholomew's  since  1886,  and 
the  composer  of  much  religious  music  in 
which  both  skill  and  feeling  are  present. 
Among  his  more  important  works  are  two 
complete    services,     a    scene    for    barytone 


34^   Contemporary  American  Composers, 

solo,  male  chorus,  and  orchestra,  called  "Ti- 
conderoga,"  and  a  powerful  Christmas  anthem. 
Warren  has  written  also  various  operettas,  in 
which  he  shows  a  particular  grasp  of  instru- 
mentation, and  an  ability  to  give  new  turns 
of  expression  to  his  songs,  while  keeping 
them  smooth  and  singable.  An  unpublished 
short  song  of  his,  "When  the  Birds  Go  North," 
is  a  remarkably  beautiful  work,  showing  an 
aptitude  that  should  be  more  cultivated. 

Warren  was  born  at  Albany,  September 
I7>  1S59.  He  is  a  son  and  pupil  of  George 
W.  Warren,  the  distinguished  organist.  He 
went  to  Europe  in  1880,  and  again  in  1886, 
for  study  and  observation.  He  was  the  or- 
ganizer and  conductor  of  the  Church  Choral 
Society,  which  gave  various  important  relig- 
ious works  their  first  production  in  New 
York,  and,  in  some  cases,  their  first  hearing 
in  America,  notably,  Dvorak's  Requiem  Mass, 
Gounod's  "  Mors  et  Vita,"  Liszt's  Thirteenth 
Psalm,  Saint-Saens'  "The  Heavens  Declare," 


The  Colonists.  347 

Villiers  Stanford's  "  God  is  Our  Hope  and 
Strength,"  and  Mackenzie's  "Veni,  Creator 
Spiritus."  Horatio  Parker's  "  Hora  Novis- 
sima "  was  composed  for  this  society,  and 
Chadwick's  "Phcenix  Expirans "  given  its 
first  New  York  performance. 

A  prominent  organist  and  teacher  is  Smith 
N.  Penfield,  who  has  also  found  time  for  the 
composition  of  numerous  scholarly  works, 
notably,  an  overture  for  full  orchestra,  an 
orchestral  setting  of  the  eighteenth  psalm,  a 
string  quartette,  and  many  pieces  for  the 
organ,  voice,  and  piano.  His  tuition  has  been 
remarkably  thorough.  Born  in  Oberlin, 
Ohio,  April  4,  1837,  he  studied  the  piano 
in  Germany  with  Moscheles,  Papperitz,  and 
Reinecke,  the  organ  with  Richter,  composi- 
tion, counterpoint,  and  fugue  with  Reinecke 
and  Hauptmann.  He  had  also  a  period  of 
study  in  Paris. 

Another  organist  of  distinction  is  Frank 
Taft,  who  is  also  a  conductor  and  a  composer. 


348    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

His  most  important  work  is  a  "  Marche  Sym- 
phonique,"  which  was  performed  by  the  Bos- 
ton Symphony  Orchestra.  He  was  born  in 
East  Bloomfield,  New  York,  and  had  his 
education  entirely  in  this  country,  studying 
the  organ  with  Clarence  Eddy,  and  theory 
with  Frederick  Grant  Gleason. 

A  young  composer  of  many  graceful  songs 
is  Charles  Fonteyn  Manney,  who  was  born 
in  Brooklyn  in  1872,  and  studied  theory  with 
William  Arms  Fisher  in  New  York,  and  later 
with  J.  Wallace  Goodrich  at  Boston.  His 
most  original  song  is  "Orpheus  with  His 
Lute,"  which  reproduces  the  quaint  and  fas- 
cinating gaucheries  of  the  text  with  singular 
charm.  He  has  also  set  various  songs  of 
Heine's  to  music,  and  a  short  cantata  for 
Easter,  "The  Resurrection." 

An  ability  that  is  strongly  individual  is 
that  of  Arthur  Farwell,  whose  first  teacher 
in  theory  was  Homer  A.  Norris,  and  who 
later    studied    under    Humperdinck    in    Ger- 


The  Colonists.  349 

many.  Among  his  works  are  an  elaborate 
ballade  for  piano  and  violin,  a  setting  of 
Shelley's  "  Indian  Serenade,"  and  four  folk- 
songs to  words  by  Johanna  Ambrosius,  the 
peasant  genius  of  Germany.  Among  others 
of  his  published  songs  is  "  Strow  Poppy 
Buds,"  a  strikingly  original  composition. 

A  writer  of  numerous  elegant  trifles  and 
of  a  serious  symphony  is  Harry  Patterson 
Hopkins,  who  was  born  in  Baltimore,  and 
graduated  at  the  Peabody  Institute  in  1896, 
receiving  the  diploma  for  distinguished  mu- 
sicianship. The  same  year  he  went  to 
Bohemia,  and  studied  with  Dvorak.  He 
returned  to  America  to  assist  in  the  produc- 
tion of  one  of  his  compositions  by  Anton 
Seidl. 

Very  thorough  was  the  foreign  training  of 
Carl  V.  Lachmund,  whose  "Japanese  Over- 
ture "  has  been  produced  under  the  direction 
of  Thomas  and  Seidl,  in  the  former  case  at  a 
concert  of  that  society  at  which  many  impor- 


350    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

tant  native  works  have  had  their  only  hearing, 
the  Music  Teachers'  National  Association. 
Lachmund  was  born  at  Booneville,  Mo.,  in 
1854.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began  his 
tuition  at  Cologne,  under  Heller,  Jensen,  and 
Seiss;  later  he  went  to  Berlin  to  study 
with  the  Scharwenkas,  Kiel,  and  Moskowski. 
He  had  also  four  years  of  Liszt's  training  at 
Weimar.  A  trio  for  harp,  violin,  and  'cello 
was  played  by  the  Berlin  Philharmonic  Or- 
chestra, and  a  concert  prelude  for  the  piano 
was  much  played  in  concerts  in  Germany. 
Before  returning  to  America,  Lachmund  was 
for  a  time  connected  with  the  opera  at 
Cologne. 

The  Boston  Colony. 

To  the  composer  potentially  a  writer  of 
grand  operas,  but  barred  out  by  the  absolute 
lack  of  opening  here,  the  dramatic  ballad 
should  offer  an  attractive  form.  Such  works 
as  Schubert's  "Erl-King"  show  what  can  be 


FREDERICK    FIELD    BULLA  1 


The  Colonists.  351 

done.  Henry  Holden  Huss  has  made  some 
interesting  experiments,  and  Fred.  Field 
Bullard  has  tried  the  field. 

Bullard's  setting  of  Tennyson's  almost  lurid 
melodrama  in  six  stanzas,  "The  Sisters,"  has 
caught  the  bitter  mixture  of  love  and  hate, 
and  avoided  claptrap  climaxes  most  impres- 
sively. 

"  In  the  Greenwood  "  (op.  14)  is  graceful, 
and  "A  June  Lullaby"  has  a  charming  ac- 
companiment of  humming  rain.  Bullard  has 
set  some  of  Shelley's  lyrics  for  voice  and 
harp  or  piano,  in  opus  17.  "  From  Dreams  of 
Thee  "  gets  a  delicious  quaintness  of  accom- 
paniment, while  the  "  Hymn  of  Pan  "  shows 
a  tremendous  savagery  and  uncouthness,  with 
strange  and  stubborn  harmonies.  Full  of  the 
same  roborific  virility  are  his  settings  to  the 
songs  of  Richard  Hovey's  writing,  "  Here's  a 
Health  to  Thee,  Roberts,"  "  Barney  McGee," 
and  the  "  Stein  Song."  These  songs  have 
an  exuberance  of  the  roistering  spirit,  along 


352    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


HYMN  OF  PAN. 

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From  the  rhr.er- girt       is     .      lands.  Where    waves are     dumb; 

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Copyright,  1894,  by  Miles  &  Thompson. 

A   FRAGMENT. 


The  Colonists. 


353 


354    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

with  a  competence  of  musicianship  that  lifts 
them  above  any  comparison  with  the  average 
balladry.  Similarly  "  The  Sword  of  Ferrara," 
with  its  hidalgic  pride,  and  "The  Indif- 
ferent Mariner,"  and  the  drinking-song,  "The 
Best  of  All  Good  Company,"  are  all  what 
Horace  Greeley  would  have  called  "mighty 
interesting."  Not  long  ago  I  would  have 
wagered  my  head  against  a  hand-saw,  that  no 
writer  of  this  time  could  write  a  canon  with 
spontaneity.  But  then  I  had  not  seen  Bul- 
lard's  three  duets  in  canon  form.  He  has 
chosen  his  words  so  happily  and  expressed 
them  so  easily,  and  with  such  arch  raillery, 
that  the  duets  are  dehcious.  Of  equal  gaiety 
is  "The  Lass  of  Norwich  Town,"  which, 
with  its  violin  obbligato,  won  a  prize  in  the 
Musical  Record  competition  of  1899. 

Bullard  was  born  at  Boston,  in  1864.  He 
studied  chemistry  at  first,  but  the  claims 
of  music  on  his  interest  were  too  great,  and 
in  1888  he  went  to  Munich,  where  he  studied 


The  Colojiists.  355 

with  Josef  Rheinberger.  After  four  years  of 
European  life  he  returned  to  Boston,  where 
he  has  taught  harmony  and  counterpoint 
along  rather  original  lines.  He  is  a  writer 
with  ideas  and  resources  that  give  promise 
of  a  large  future.  His  scholarship  has  not 
led  him  away  from  individuality.  He  is 
especially  likely  to  give  unexpected  turns 
of  expression,  little  bits  of  programmism 
rather  incompatible  with  the  ballad  form 
most  of  his  songs  take.  The  chief  fault  with 
his  work  is  the  prevailing  dun-ness  of  his 
harmonies.  They  have  not  felt  the  impres- 
sionistic revolt  from  the  old  bituminous  school. 
But  in  partial  compensation  for  this  bleak- 
ness is  a  fine  ruggedness. 

Of  his  other  published  songs,  "At  Day- 
break "  shows  a  beautiful  fervor  of  repres- 
sion. "  On  the  Way "  is  redeemed  by  a 
particularly  stirring  finish.  In  opus  8,  "  A 
Prayer "  is  begun  in  D  minor  and  ended 
in  D  major,  with  a  strong  effect  of  sudden 


35^    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

exaltation  from  gloom.  "The  Singer"  be- 
gins also  in  sombre  style  with  unusual 
and  abrupt  modulations,  and  ends  in  a  bright 
major.  "The  Hermit"  is  likewise  grim, 
but  is  broad  and  deep.  It  uses  a  hint  of 
"  Old  Hundred  "  in  the  accompaniment. 

Opus  1 1  couples  two  dramatic  ballads. 
In  this  form  of  condensed  drama  is  a  too- 
little  occupied  field  of  composition,  and  Bullard 
has  written  some  part  songs,  of  which  "  In 
the  Merry  Month  of  May,"  "  Her  Scuttle 
Hat,"  and  "The  Water  Song"  are  worth 
mentioning.  "  O  Stern  Old  Land  "  is  a  rather 
bathetic  candidate  for  the  national  hymnship. 
But  his  "  War  Song  of  Gamelbar,"  for  male 
voices,  is  really  a  masterwork.  Harmonists 
insist  on  so  much  closer  compliance  with 
rules  for  smoothness  in  vocal  compositions 
than  in  instrumental  work,  that  the  usual 
composer  gives  himself  very  little  liberty 
here.  Bullard,  however,  has  found  the  right 
occasion  for  wild  dissonances,  and  has  dared 


HOMER    A.    NORRIS. 


The  Colonists.  357 

to  use  them.  The  effect  is  one  of  terrific 
power.  This,  his  "  Song  of  Pan  "  and  "  The 
Sisters  "  give  him  a  place  apart  from  the  rest 
of  native  song-writers. 

With  all  reverence  for  German  music,  it 
has  been  too  much  inclined  of  late  to  domi- 
neer the  rest  of  the  world,  especially  Amer- 
ica. A  useful  counter-influence  is  that  of 
Homer  A.  Norris,  who  has  stepped  out  of 
the  crowd  flying  to  Munich  and  neighboring 
places,  and  profited  by  Parisian  harmonic 
methods. 

His  book,  "  Practical  Harmony,"  imparts  a, 
to  us,  novel  method  of  disarming  the  bugaboo 
of  altered  chords  of  many  of  its  notorious 
terrors.  He  also  attacks  the  pedantry  of 
music  "so  constructed  that  it  appeals  to  the 
eye  rather  than  the  ear,  —  paper-work,"  a 
most  praiseworthy  assault  on  what  is  possibly 
the  heaviest  incubus  on  inspiration.  In  a 
later  work  on  "  Counterpoint  "  he  used  for 
chapter    headings    Greek    vases    and    other 


358    Contemporary  Amcricati  Composers. 

decorative  designs,  to  stimulate  the  ideal  of 
counterpoint  as  a  unified  complexity  of  grace- 
ful contours. 

Norris  was  born  in  Wayne,  Me.,  and  be- 
came an  organist  at  an  early  age.  His  chief 
interest  has  been,  however,  in  the  theory  of 
music,  and  he  studied  with  G.  W.  Marston, 
F.  W.  Hale,  and  G.  W.  Chadwick,  as  well  as 
Emery.  In  deciding  upon  foreign  study  he 
was  inspired  to  choose  France  instead  of  Ger- 
many.    This  has  given  him  a  distinct  place. 

After  studying  in  Paris  for  four  years 
under  Dubois,  Godard,  Guilmant,  and  Gigout, 
he  made  his  home  in  Boston,  where  he  has 
since  confined  himself  to  the  teaching  of 
composition. 

As  yet  Mr.  Norris  has  composed  little, 
and  that  little  is  done  on  simple  lines,  but 
the  simplicity  is  deep,  and  the  harmonies, 
without  being  bizarre,  are  wonderfully  mellow. 

His  first  song,  "  Rock-a-bye,  Baby,"  he  sold 
for  twelve  printed  copies,  and  it  is   said   to 


The  Colonists.  359 

have  had  a  larger  sale  than  any  cradle-song 
ever  published  in  this  country.  His  song, 
"Protestations,"  is  tender,  and  has  a  violin 
obbligato  that  is  really  more  important  than 
the  voice  part.  The  song,  "  Parting,"  is  wild 
with  passion,  and  bases  a  superb  melody  on 
a  fitting  harmonic  structure.  I  consider 
"Twilight"  one  of  the  best  American  songs. 
It  gets  some  unusual  effects  with  intervals 
of  tenths  and  ninths,  and  shows  a  remarkable 
depth  of  emotion. 

In  the  larger  forms  he  has  done  a  concert 
overture,  "Zoroaster"  (which,  judging  from 
an  outline,  promises  many  striking  effects), 
and  a  cantata,  "  Nain,"  which  has  the  sin  of 
over-repetition  of  words,  but  is  otherwise 
marked  with  telling  pathos  and  occasional 
outbursts  of  intensely  dramatic  feeling. 

Perhaps  his  most  original  work  is  seen  in 
his  book  of  "  Four  Songs  for  Mezzo- Voice." 
The  first  is  Kipling's  "  O  Mother  Mine,"  with 
harshnesses  followed  by  tenderest  musings; 


360    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

the  second  is  a  noble  song,  "  Peace,"  with  an 
accompaniment  consisting  entirely  of  the 
slowly  descending  scale  of  C  major ;  a  high- 
colored  lilt,  "The  World  and  a  Day,"  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  Maeterlinckian  recitative  of  the 
most  melting  pathos.  This  book  is  another 
substantiation  of  my  belief  that  America  is 
writing  the  best  of  the  songs  of  to-day. 

One  of  the  best-esteemed  musicians  in 
Boston,  G.  E.  Whiting  has  devoted  more  of  his 
interest  to  his  career  as  virtuoso  on  the 
organ  than  to  composition.  Not  many  of 
such  works  as  he  has  found  time  to  write 
have  been  printed.  These  include  an  organ 
sonata,  a  number  of  organ  pieces,  a  book  of 
studies  for  the  organ,  six  songs,  and  three 
cantatas  for  solos,  chorus,  and  orchestra,  "A 
Tale  of  the  Viking,"  "  Dream  Pictures,"  and 
"A  Midnight  Cantata." 

Whiting  was  born  at  Holliston,  Mass., 
September  14,  1842.  At  the  age  of  five,  he 
began  the  study  of  music  with  his  brother. 


The  Colonists.  361 

At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  moved  to  Hartford, 
Conn.,  where  he  succeeded  Dudley  Buck  as 
organist  of  one  of  the  churches.  Here  he 
founded  the  Beethoven  Society.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  he  went  to  Boston,  and  after 
studying  with  Morgan,  went  to  Liverpool, 
and  studied  the  organ  under  William  Thomas 
Best.  Later  he  made  a  second  pilgrimage 
to  Europe,  and  studied  under  Radeck. 

For  many  years  he  has  lived  in  Boston  as 
a  teacher  of  music  and  performer  upon  the 
organ.  In  manuscript  are  a  number  of  works 
which  I  have  not  had  the  privilege  of  seeing : 
two  masses  for  chorus,  orchestra,  and  organ, 
a  concert  overture,  a  concerto,  a  sonata,  a 
fantasy  and  fugue,  a  fantasy  and  three  etudes, 
a  suite  for  'cello  and  piano,  and  a  setting  of 
Longfellow's  "Golden  Legend,"  which  won 
two  votes  out  of  five  in  the  thousand  dollar 
musical  festival  of  1897,  the  prize  being 
awarded  to  Dudley  Buck. 

Of   his    compositions    H.    E.    Krehbiel  in 


362     Contemporary  American  Composers. 


Gdvabd  RovLAim  Sat. 

Abort  M.J 


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seek-ing,     Tis  aot  in     end- less stiiT. ing,    Ttaj    qnest  is    fomid: Tby 


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Copyright,  1900,  by  H.  B.  Stevene  Co.    International  copyright  secured. 
Deed  by  pennissioQ  of  U.  B.  Stevens  Co.,  Boston,  owners  of  the  copyright. 


The  Colonists. 


363 


all       a  -  round 


fortliy    cry-  ing,  Not  for  tby 


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364    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

1 892  recorded  the  opinion  that  they  "  entitled 
him  to  a  position  among  the  foremost  musi- 
cians in  this  country."  He  is  an  uncle  of 
Arthur  Whiting. 

G.  W.  Marston's  setting  of  the  omnipresent 
"  Du  bist  wie  eine  Blume  "  is  really  one  of  the 
very  best  Heine's  poem  has  ever  had.  Possi- 
bly it  is  the  best  of  all  the  American  settings. 
His  "There  Was  an  Aged  Monarch"  is  seri- 
ously deserving  of  the  frankest  comparison 
with  Grieg's  treatment  of  the  same  Lied.  It 
is  interesting  to  note  the  radical  difference  of 
their  attitudes  toward  it.  Grieg  writes  in  a 
folk-tone  that  is  severe  to  the  point  of  grim- 
ness.  He  is  right  because  it  is  ein  altes  Lied- 
chen,  and  Heine's  handling  of  it  is  also  kept 
outwardly  cold.  But  Marston  has  rendered 
the  song  into  music  of  the  richest  harmony 
and  fullest  pathos.  He  is  right,  also,  because 
he  has  interpreted  the  undercurrent  of  the 
story. 

Bodenstedt's  ubiquitous  lyric,   "Wenn  der 


The  Colonists.  365 

Friihling  auf  die  Berge  steigt,"  which  rivals 
"  Du  bist  wie  eine  Blume "  in  the  favor  of 
composers,  has  gathered  Marston  also  into 
its  net.  He  gives  it  a  climax  that  fairly 
sweeps  one  off  his  feet,  though  one  might 
wish  that  the  following  and  final  phrase  had 
not  forsaken  the  rich  harmonies  of  the  climax 
so  completely. 

This  song  is  the  first  of  a  "  Song  Album  " 
for  sopranos,  published  in  1890.  In  this 
group  the  accompaniments  all  receive  an 
attention  that  gives  them  meaning  without 
obtrusiveness.  "  The  Duet  "  is  a  delicious 
marriage  of  the  song  of  a  girl  and  the  ac- 
companying rapture  of  a  bird. 

A  captivating  little  florid  figure  in  the 
accompaniment  of  a  setting  of  "  Im  wunder- 
schonen  Monat  Mai "  gives  the  song  worth. 
•'  On  the  Water  "  is  profound  with  sombre- 
ness  and  big  simplicity..  "The  Boat  of  My 
Lover  "  is  quaintly  delightful, 

Marston  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  at  the 


366   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

little  town  of  Sandwich,  in  1840.  He  studied 
there,  and  later  at  Portland,  Me.,  with  John 
W.  Tufts,  and  has  made  two  pilgrimages  to 
Europe  for  instruction.  He  played  the  organ 
in  his  native  town  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and 
since  finishing  his  studies  has  lived  at  Port- 
land, teaching  the  piano,  organ,  and  harmony. 
From  the  start  his  songs  caught  popularity, 
and  were  much  sung  in  concert. 

Marston  has  written  a  sacred  dramatic 
cantata,  "  David,"  and  a  large  amount  of 
church  music  that  is  very  widely  used. 
He  has  written  also  a  set  of  quartettes  and 
trios  for  women's  voices,  and  quartettes  for 
men's  voices. 

Possibly  his  best -known  song  has  been  his 
"  Could  Ye  Come  Back  to  Me,  Douglas," 
which  Mrs.  Craik  called  the  best  of  all  her 
poem's  many  settings. 

Only  Marston's  later  piano  pieces  are  really 
klaviermdssig.  So  fine  a  work  as  his  "  Ga- 
votte in  B  Minor  "  has  no  need  to  consider  the 


The  Colonists. 


1^7 


resources  of  the  modern  instrument.  It  has 
a  color  scheme  of  much  originaUty,  though 
it  is  marred  by  over-repetition.  "A  Night 
in  Spain "  is  a  dashing  reminiscence,  not 
without  Spanish  spirit,  and  an  "Album 
Leaf  "  is  a  divertissement  of  contagious  en- 
thusiasm. 


Ariel's  songs,  from  "The  Tempest,"  are 
given  a  piano  interpretation  that  reaches  a 
high  plane.  There  is  a  storm  prologue  which 
suggests,  in  excellent  harmonies,  the  distant 
mutter  of  the  storm  rather  than  a  piano- 
gutting  tornado.  "  Full  Fathoms  Five  Thy 
Father  Lies  "  is  a  reverie  of  wonderful  depth 
and  originality,  with  a  delicious  variation  on 


368    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

the  good  old-fashioned  cadence.  Thence  it 
works  up  into  an  immensely  powerful  close. 
A  dance,  "  Foot  it  Featly,"  follows.  It  is 
sprightly,  and  contains  a  fetching  cadenza. 

One  of  the  most  prolific  writers  of  Amer- 
ican song  is  Clayton  Johns.  He  is  al- 
most always  pleasing  and  polished.  While 
he  is  not  at  all  revolutionary,  he  has  a  cer- 
tain individuality  of  ease,  and  lyric  quality 
without  storm  or  stress  of  passion.  Thus 
his  settings  of  seven  "  Wanderlieder "  by 
Uhland  have  all  the  spirit  of  the  road  except 
ruggedness. 

His  setting  of  "  Du  bist  wie  eine  Blume  " 
is  extremely  tender  and  sweet. 

Two  of  Johns'  best  successes  have  been 
settings  of  Egyptian  subjects :  "  Were  I  a 
Prince  Egyptian  "  and  Arlo  Bates'  fine  lyric, 
"No  Lotus  Flower  on  Ganges  Borne."  The 
latter  is  a  superb  song  of  unusual  fire,  with 
a  strong  effect  at  the  end,  the  voice  ceasing 
at  a  deceptive  cadence,  while  the  accompani- 


The  Colonists.  369 

ment  sweeps  on  to  its  destiny  in  the  original 
key.  He  has  also  found  a  congenial  subject 
in  Austin  Dobson's  "  The  Rose  and  the  Gar- 
dener." He  gets  for  a  moment  far  from  its 
florid  grace  in  "  I  Looked  within  My  Soul," 
which  has  an  unwonted  bigness,  and  is  a 
genuine  Lied. 

In  later  years  Johns'  songs  have  been 
brought  out  in  little  albums,  very  artistically 
got  up,  especially  for  music  (which  has  been 
heinously  printed,  as  a  rule,  in  this  country). 
These  albums  include  three  skilfully  writ- 
ten '•  English  Songs,"  and  three  "  French 
Songs,"  "  Soupir  "  taking  the  form  of  melodic 
recitative.  Opus  19  is  a  group  of  "  Wonder 
Songs,"  which  interpret  Oliver  Herford's 
quaint  conceits  capitally. 

Opus  26  collects  nine  songs,  of  which 
"  Princess  Pretty  Eyes  "  is  fascinatingly  ar- 
chaic. It  is  good  to  see  him  setting  two 
such  remotely  kindred  spirits  as  Herrick  and 
Emily  Dickinson,  The  latter  has  hardly  been 


3/0    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

discovered  by  composers,  and  the  former  is 
too  much  neglected. 

Johns  has  also  written  a  few  part  songs 
and  some  instrumental  works,  which  maintain 
his  characteristics.  A  delightful  "  Canzone," 
a  happy  "Promenade,"  and  "Mazurka"  are 
to  be  mentioned,  and  a  number  of  pieces 
for  violin  and  piano,  among  them  a  finely 
built  intermezzo,  a  berceuse,  a  romanza  that 
should  be  highly  effective,  and  a  witty  scher- 
zino.  He  has  written  for  strings  a  berceuse 
and  a  scherzino,  which  have  been  played  by 
the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra,  and  certain 
part  songs,  as  well  as  a  chorus  for  female 
voices  and  string  orchestra,  have  been  sung 
in  London. 

Johns  was  born  at  New  Castle,  Del.,  No- 
vember 24,  1857,  of  American  parents. 
Though  at  first  a  student  of  architecture,  he 
gave  this  up  for  music,  and  studied  at  Boston 
under  Wm.  F.  Apthorp,  J.  K.  Paine,  and 
W.  H.  Sherwood,  after  which  he  went  to  Ber- 


The  Colonists.  371 

lin,  where  he  studied  under  Kiel,  Grabau, 
Raif,  and  Franz  Rummel.  In  1884  he  made 
Boston  his  home. 

If  San  Francisco  had  found  some  way  of 
retaining  the  composers  she  has  produced, 
ihe  would  have  a  very  respectable  colony. 
A.mong  the  others  who  have  come  east  to 
^-row  up  with  music  is  William  Arms  Fisher, 
who  was  born  in  San  Francisco,  April  27, 
1 86 1.  The  two  composers  from  whom  he 
derives  his  name,  Joshua  Fisher  and  William 
Arms,  settled  in  Massachusetts  colony  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  He  studied  harmony, 
organ,  and  piano  with  John  P.  Morgan.  After 
devoting  some  years  to  business,  he  committed 
his  life  to  music,  and  in  1890  came  to  New 
York,  where  he  studied  singing.  Later  he 
went  to  London  to  continue  his  vocal  studies. 
Returning  to  New  York,  he  took  up  counter- 
point and  fugue  with  Horatio  W.  Parker,  and 
composition  a\\d  instrumentation  with  Dvorak. 
After  teaching  \iarmony  for  several  years,  he 


3/2    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

wefit  to  Boston,  where  he  now  Uves.  His 
work  has  been  almost  altogether  the  compo- 
sition of  songs.  A  notable  feature  of  his 
numerous  publications  is  their  agreeable  diver- 
sion from  the  usual  practice  of  composers, 
which  is  to  write  lyrics  of  wide  range  and 
high  pitch.  Nearly  all  his  songs  are  written 
for  the  average  voice. 

His  first  opus  contains  a  setting  of  "  Nur 
wer  die  Sehnsucht  kennt,"  which  I  like  better 
than  the  banal  version  Tschaikowski  made  of 
the  same  words.  The  third  opus  contains  three 
songs  to  Shelley's  words.  They  show  some- 
thing of  the  intellectual  emotion  of  the  poet. 
The  first  work,  "  A  Widow  Bird  Sate  Mourn- 
ing," is  hardly  lyrical ;  "  My  Coursers  Are  Fed 
with  the  Lightning  "  is  a  stout  piece  of  writ- 
ing, but  the  inspired  highfalutin  of  the  words 
would  be  trying  upon  one  who  arose  to  sing 
the  song  before  an  audience.  This,  by  the 
way,  is  a  point  rarely  considered  by  the 
unsuccessful  composers,  and  the  words  which 


The  Colonists.  373 

the  singer  is  expected  to  declare  to  an  ordi- 
nary audience  are  sometimes  astounding.  The 
third  Shelley  setting,  "The  World's  Wan- 
derer," is  more  congenial  to  song. 

Opus  5  is  entitled  "  Songs  without  Tears." 
These  are  for  a  bass  voice,  and  by  all  odds  the 
best  of  his  songs.  An  appropriate  setting 
is  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman's  "Falstaff's 
Song,"  a  noteworthy  lyric  of  toss-pot  moraliza- 
tion  on  death.  His  song  of  "  Joy  "  is  exuber- 
ant with  spring  gaiety,  and  some  of  his  best 
manner  is  seen  in  his  "  Elegie,"  for  violin  and 
piano.  He  has  also  written  a  deal  of  church 
song. 

A  venerable  and  distinguished  teacher  and 
composer  is  James  C.  D.  Parker,  who  was 
born  at  Boston,  in  1 828,  and  graduated  from 
Harvard  in  1848.  He  at  first  studied  law, 
but  was  soon  turned  to  music,  and  studied 
for  three  years  in  Europe  under  Richter 
Plaidy,  Hauptmann,  Moscheles,  Rietz,  and 
Becker.     He  graduated  from   the   conserva- 


374    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

tory  at  Leipzig,  and  returned  to  Boston  in 
1845. 

His  "Redemption  Hymn"  is  one  of  his 
most  important  works,  and  was  produced  in 
Boston  by  the  Handel  and  Haydn  Society 
in  1877.  He  also  composed  other  works  for 
orchestra  and  chorus,  and  many  brilliant  piano 
compositions. 

An  interesting  method  of  writing  duets  is 
that  employed  in  the  "  Children's  Festival," 
by  Charles  Dennee.  The  pupil  plays  in  some 
places  the  primo,  and  in  others  the  secondo, 
his  part  being  written  very  simply,  while  the 
part  to  be  played  by  the  teacher  is  written 
with  considerable  elaboration,  so  that  the 
general  effect  is  not  so  narcotic  as  usual  with 
duets  for  children.  Dennee  has  written, 
among  many  works  of  little  specific  gravity,  a 
"Suite  Moderne"  of  much  skill,  a  suite  for 
string  orchestra,  an  overture  and  sonatas 
for  the  piano  and  for  the  violin  and  piano, 
as  well  as  various  comic  operas.      He  was 


The  Colonists.  375 

born  in  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  September  i,  1863, 
and  studied  composition  with  Stephen  A. 
Emery. 

A  composer  of  a  genial  gaiety,  one  who 
has  written  a  good  minuet  and  an  "  Evening 
Song  "  that  is  not  morose,  is  Benjamin  Lincoln 
Whelpley,  who  was  born  at  Eastport,  Me., 
October  23,  1863,  and  studied  the  piano  at 
Boston  with  B.  J.  Lang,  and  composition  with 
Sidney  Homer  and  others.  He  also  studied 
in  Paris  for  a  time  in  1890.  He  has  written 
a  "  Dance  of  the  Gnomes,"  that  is  char- 
acteristic and  brilliantly  droll,  and  a  piano 
piece,  called  "  Under  Bright  Skies,"  which 
has  the  panoply  and  progress  of  a  sunlit 
cavalcade. 

Ernest  Osgood  Hiler  has  written  some 
good  music  for  the  violin,  a  book  of  songs  for 
children,  "Cloud,  Field,  and  Flower,"  and 
some  sacred  music.  He  studied  in  Germany 
for  two  years. 


3/6    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

The  Chicago  Colony. 

Most  prominent  among  Chicago's  com- 
posers is  doubtless  Frederick  Grant  Gleason, 
who  has  written  in  the  large  forms  with  dis- 
tinguished success.  The  Thomas  Orchestra 
has  performed  a  number  of  his  works,  which 
is  an  excellent  praise,  because  Thomas,  who 
has  done  so  much  for  American  audiences, 
has  worried  himself  little  about  the  Ameri- 
can composer.  At  the  World's  Fair,  which 
was,  in  some  ways,  the  artistic  birthday  of 
Chicago,  and  possibly  the  most  important 
artistic  event  in  our  national  history,  some  of 
Gleason' s  works  were  performed  by  Thomas' 
organization,  among  them  the  Vorspiel  to 
an  opera,  "  Otho  Visconti "  (op.  7),  for  which 
Gleason  wrote  both  words  and  music. 

This  Vorspiel,  like  that  to  "  Lohengrin,"  is 
short  and  delicate.  It  begins  ravishingly 
with  flutes  and  clarinets  and  four  violins, 
pianissimo,  followed  by  a  blare  of  brass. 
After  this  introductory  period  the  work  runs 


The  Colonists.  377 

through  tenderly  contemplative  musing  to 
the  end,  in  which,  again,  the  only  strings  are 
the  four  violins,  though  here  they  are  accom- 
panied by  the  brass  and  wood-winds  and  tym- 
pani,  the  cymbals  being  gently  tapped  with 
drumsticks.  The  introduction  to  the  third 
act  of  the  opera  is  more  lyrical,  but  not  so 
fine.  Another  opera  is  "Montezuma"  (op. 
16).  Gleason  is  again  his  own  librettist.  Of 
this  opera  I  have  been  privileged  to  see 
the  complete  piano  score,  and  much  of  the 
orchestral. 

In  the  first  act  Guatemozin,  who  has 
been  exiled  by  Montezuma,  appears  dis- 
guised as  an  ancient  minstrel  and  sings  pro- 
phetically of  the  coming  of  a  god  of  peace 
and  love  to  supplant  the  terrible  idol  that 
demands  human  sacrifice.  This  superbly 
written  aria  provokes  from  the  terrified  idola- 
ters a  chorus  of  fear  and  reproach  that  is 
strongly  effective.  The  next  act  begins 
with  an  elaborate  aria  followed  by  a  love  duet 


S7^    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


EXCERPT  FROM  AN  ORCHESTRAL  SCORE  BY  MR.  GLEASON. 


The  Colonists.  379 

of  much  beauty.  A  heavily  scored  priests' 
march  is  one  of  the  chief  numbers,  and  like 
most  marches  written  by  the  unco'  learned, 
it  is  a  grain  of  martial  melody  in  a  bushel  of 
trumpet  figures  and  preparation.  The  Wag- 
nerian leit-motif  idea  is  adopted  in  this  and 
other  works  of  his,  and  the  chief  objection  to 
his  writing  is  its  too  great  fidelity  to  the 
Wagnerian  manner,  —  notably  in  the  use  of 
suspensions  and  passing-notes,  —  otherwise  he 
is  a  very  powerful  harmonist  and  an  instru- 
menter  of  rare  sophistication.  A  soprano 
aria  with  orchestral  accompaniment  has  been 
taken  from  the  opera  and  sung  in  concert 
with  strong  effect. 

Another  work  played  at  the  World's  Fair 
by  Thomas,  is  a  "  Processional  of  the  Holy 
Grail."  It  is  scored  elaborately,  but  is  rather 
brilliant  than  large.  It  complimentarily  in- 
troduces a  hint  or  two  of  Wagner's  Grail 
motif. 

The  symphonic  poem,   "  Edris,"  was  also 


380    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

performed  by  the  Thomas  Orchestra,  It  is 
based  upon  Marie  Corelli's  novel,  "  Ardath," 
which  gives  opportunity  for  much  pro- 
grammism,  but  of  a  mystical  highly  colored 
sort  for  which  music  is  especially  competent. 
It  makes  use  of  a  number  of  remarkably  beau- 
tiful motives.  One  effect  much  commented 
upon  was  a  succession  of  fifths  in  the  bass, 
used  legitimately  enough  to  express  a  dreari- 
ness of  earth. 

This  provoked  from  that  conservative 
of  conservatives,  the  music  copyist,  a  patroniz- 
ing annotation,  "  Quinten  !  "  to  which  Gleason 
added  "  Gewiss  !  "  A  series  of  augmented 
triads,  smoothly  manipulated,  was  another 
curiosity  of  the  score. 

Possibly  Gleason's  happiest  work  is  his 
exquisite  music  for  that  most  exquisite  of 
American  poems,  "The  Culprit  Fay."  It  is 
described  in  detail  in  Upton's  "  Standard 
Cantatas,"  and  liberally  quoted  from  in  Good- 
rich'    "  Musical    Analysis."      While    I   have 


The  Colonists.  381 

seen  both  the  piano  and  orchestral  scores  of 
this  work  (op.  15),  and  have  seen  much 
beauty  in  them,  my  space  compels  me  to 
refer  the  curious  reader  to  either  of  these 
most  recommendable  books. 

Gleason  has  had  an  unusual  schooling. 
He  was  born  in  Middletown,  Conn.,  in  1848. 
His  parents  were  musical,  and  when  at  six- 
teen he  wrote  a  small  matter  of  two  oratorios 
without  previous  instruction,  they  put  him  to 
study  under  Dudley  Buck.  From  his  tuition 
he  graduated  to  Germany,  and  to  such  teach- 
ers as  Moscheles,  Richter,  Plaidy,  Lobe,  Raif, 
Taussig,  and  Weitzmann.  He  studied  in 
England  after  that,  and  returned  again  to 
Germany.  When  he  re-appeared  in  America 
he  remained  a  while  at  Hartford,  Conn., 
whence  he  went  to  Chicago  in  1876.  He  has 
lived  there  since,  working  at  teaching  and 
composition,  and  acting  as  musical  critic  of 
the  Chicago  Tribune.  An  unusually  gifted 
body  of  critics,  dramatic,  musical,  and  literary. 


382    Cofitemporary  American  Composers. 

has  worked  upon  the  Chicago  newspapers, 
and  Gleason  has  been  prominent  among 
them. 

Among  other  important  compositions  of 
his  are  a  symphonic  cantata,  "The  Audito- 
rium Festival  Ode,"  sung  at  the  dedication  of 
the  Chicago  Auditorium  by  a  chorus  of  five 
hundred ;  sketches  for  orchestra,  a  piano  con- 
certo, organ  music,  and  songs. 

As  is  shown  by  the  two  or  three  vocal 
works  of  his  that  I  have  seen,  Gleason  is  less 
successful  as  a  melodist  than  as  a  harmonist. 
But  in  this  latter  capacity  he  is  gifted  indeed, 
and  is  peculiarly  fitted  to  furnish  forth  with 
music  Ebling's  "Lobgesang  auf  die  Harmo- 
nic." In  his  setting  of  this  poem  he  has  used  a 
soprano  and  a  barytone  solo  with  male  chorus 
and  orchestra.  The  harmonic  structure 
throughout  is  superb  in  all  the  various  vir- 
tues ascribed  to  harmony.  The  ending  is 
magnificent. 

A  work  completed   December,    1899,    for 


The  Colonists.  383 

production  by  the  Thomas  Orchestra,  is  a 
symphonic  poem  called  "  The  Song  of  Life," 
with  this  motto  from  Swinbourne : 

"  They  have  the  night,  who  had,  like  us,  the  day  ; 
We  whom  the  day  binds  shall  have  night  as  they. 
We,  from  the  fetters  of  the  light  unbound, 
Healed  of  our  wound  of  living,  shall  sleep  sound." 

The  first  prominent  musician  to  give  a 
certain  portion  of  his  program  regularly  to 
the  American  composer,  was  William  H. 
Sherwood.  This  recognition  from  so  dis- 
tinguished a  performer  could  not  but  interest 
many  who  had  previously  turned  a  deaf  ear 
to  all  the  musical  efforts  of  the  Eagle.  In 
addition  to  playing  their  piano  works,  he 
has  transcribed  numerous  of  their  orchestral 
works  to  the  piano,  and  played  them.  In 
short,  he  has  been  so  indefatigable  a  laborer 
for  the  cause  of  other  American  composers, 
that  he  has  found  little  time  to  write  his  own 
ideas. 


384    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Sherwood  will  be  chiefly  remembered  as  a 
pianist,  but  he  has  written  a  certain  amount 
of  music  of  an  excellent  quality.  Opera  1-4 
were  published  abroad.  Opus  5  is  a  suite, 
the  second  number  of  which  is  an  "  Idylle  " 
that  deserves  its  name.  It  is  as  blissfully 
clear  and  ringing  as  anything  could  well  be, 
and  drips  with  a  Theokritan  honey.  The 
third  number  of  the  suite  is  called  "  Greet- 
ings." It  has  only  one  or  two  unusual 
touches.  Number  4  bears  the  suggestive 
title,  "  Regrets  for  the  Pianoforte."  It  was 
possibly  written  after  some  of  his  less 
promising  pupils  had  finished  a  lesson. 
The  last  number  of  the  suite  is  a  quaint 
Novelette. 

Sherwood's  sixth  opus  is  made  up  of  a 
brace  of  mazurkas.  The  former,  in  C  minor, 
contains  some  of  his  best  work.  It  is  origi- 
nal and  moody,  and  ends  strongly.  The 
second,  in  A  major,  is  still  better.  It  not 
only  keeps  up  a  high   standard  throughout, 


The  Colonists. 


385 


IDYLLE. 


XlVgrrtto  niodcrato  II  ■•  ;.««• 


«r««  SHEflWnoO.<VS»'» 


Copyright,  1883,  by  G.  Schirmer. 

A    FRAGMENT. 


2,86   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

but   shows    occasional    touches  of  the  most 
fascinating  art. 

A  scherzo  (op.  7)  cracks  a  few  good 
jokes,  but  is  mostly  elaboration.  Opus  8  is 
a  fiery  romanza  appassionata.  Opus  9  is  a 
Scherzo-Caprice.  This  is  probably  his  best 
work.  It  is  dedicated  to  Liszt,  and  though 
extremely  brilliant,  is  full  of  meaning.  It 
has  an  interlude  of  tender  romance.  "  Coy 
Maiden  "  is  a  graceful  thing,  but  hardly  de- 
serves the  punishment  of  so  horrible  a  name. 
"  A  Gypsy  Dance  "  is  too  long,  but  it  is  of 
good  material.  It  has  an  interesting  metre, 
three-quarter  time  with  the  first  note  dotted. 
There  is  a  good  effect  gained  by  sustaining  cer- 
tain notes  over  several  measures,  though  few 
pianists  get  a  real  sostenuto.  An  "  Allegro 
Patetico"  (op.  12),  "Medea"  (op.  13),  and  a 
set  of  small  pieces  (one  of  them  a  burlesque 
called  "A  Caudle  Lecture,"  with  a  garrulous 
"  said  she  "  and  a  somnolent  "  said  he  ")  make 
up  his  rather  short  list  of  compositions. 


The  Colonists.  387 

Sherwood  was  born  at  Lyons,  New  York, 
of  good  American  stock.  His  father  was  his 
teacher  until  the  age  of  seventeen,  when  he 
studied  with  Heimberger,  Pychowski,  and 
Dr.  William  Mason.  He  studied  in  Europe 
with  Kullak  and  Deppe,  Scotson  Clark, 
Weitzmann,  Doppler,  Wuerst,  and  Richter. 
He  was  for  a  time  organist  in  Stuttgart  and 
later  in  Berlin.  He  was  one  of  those  favorite 
pupils  of  Liszt,  and  played  in  concerts  abroad 
with  remarkable  success,  winning  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  high  critical  enthusiasm.  He  has 
been  more  cordially  recognized  abroad  than 
here,  but  is  assuredly  one  of  the  greatest 
living  pianists.  It  is  fortunate  that  his 
patriotism  keeps  him  at  home,  where  he  is 
needed  in  the  constant  battle  against  the 
indecencies  of  apathy  and  Philistinism. 

The  Yankee  spirit  of  constructive  irrever- 
ence extends  to  music,  and  in  recent  years  a 
number  of  unusually  modern-minded  theorists 
have   worked  at    the   very  foundations :   Dr. 


388    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Percy  Goetschius  (born  here,  and  for  long  a 
teacher  at  Stuttgart) ;  O.  B.  Boise  (born  here, 
and  teaching  now  in  Berhn) ;  Edwin  Bruce, 
the  author  of  a  very  radical  work ;  Homer 
A.  Norris  ;  and  last,  and  first,  A.  J.  Goodrich, 
who  has  made  himself  one  of  the  most  ad- 
vanced of  living  writers  on  the  theory  of 
music,  and  has  made  so  large  a  contribution 
to  the  solidity  of  our  attainments,  that  he  is 
recognized  among  scholars  abroad  as  one  of 
the  leading  spirits  of  his  time.  His  success 
is  the  more  pleasing  since  he  was  not  only 
born  but  educated  in  this  country. 

The  town  of  Chilo,  Ohio,  was  Goodrich' 
birthplace.  He  was  born  there  in  1847,  of 
American  parentage.  His  father  taught  him 
the  rudiments  of  music  and  the  piano  for  one 
year,  after  which  he  became  his  own  teacher. 
He  has  had  both  a  thorough  and  an  inde- 
pendent instructor.  The  fact  that  he  has 
been  enabled  to  follow  his  own  conscience 
without  danger  of  being  convinced  into  error 


A.   J.    GOODRICH. 


The  Colonists.  389 

by  the  prestige  of  some  influential  master,  is 
doubtless  to  be  credited  with  much  of  the 
novelty  and  courage  of  his  work. 

His  most  important  book  is  undoubtedly 
his  "Analytical  Harmony,"  though  his  "Mu- 
sical Analysis  "  and  other  works  are  serious 
and  important.  This  is  not  the  place  to 
discuss  his  technicalities,  but  one  must  men- 
tion the  real  bravery  it  took  to  discard  the 
old  practice  of  a  figured  bass,  and  to  attack 
many  of  the  theoretical  fetiches  without 
hesitation.  Almost  all  of  the  old  theorists 
have  confessed,  usually  in  a  foot-note  to  the 
preface  or  in  modest  disclaimer  lost  some- 
where in  the  book,  that  the  great  masters 
would  occasionally  be  found  violating  certain 
of  their  rules.  But  this  did  not  lead  them 
to  deducing  their  rules  from  the  great  mas- 
ters. Goodrich,  however,  has,  in  this  matter, 
begun  where  Marx  ended,  and  has  gone 
further  even  than  Prout.  He  has  gone  to 
melody  as  the  groundwork  of  his  harmonic 


390    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

system,  and  to  the  practice  of  great  masters, 
old  and  new,  for  the  tests  of  all  his  theories. 
The  result  is  a  book  which  can  be  unre- 
servedly commended  for  self-instruction  to 
the  ignorant  and  to  the  too  learned.  It  is 
to  be  followed  by  a  book  on  "  Synthetic 
Counterpoint,"  of  which  Goodrich  says,  "  It 
is  almost  totally  at  variance  with  the  standard 
books  in  counterpoint." 

In  his  "  Musical  Analysis  "  he  quoted  freely 
from  American  composers,  and  analyzed  many 
important  native  works.  He  has  carried  out 
this  plan  also  in  his  book  on  "  Interpretation," 
a  work  aiming  to  bring  more  definiteness  into 
the  fields  of  performance  and  terminology. 

Goodrich'  composition  is  "a  thing  of  the 
past,"  he  says.  In  his  youth  he  wrote  a 
score  or  more  of  fugues,  two  string  quar- 
tettes, a  trio  that  was  played  in  New  York 
and  Chicago,  a  sonata,  two  concert  overtures, 
a  hymn  for  soprano  (in  English),  invisible 
chorus  (in  Latin),  and  orchestra,    a  volume 


The  Colonists.  391 

of  songs,  and  numerous  piano  pieces.  He 
writes :  "  In  truth,  I  believed  at  one  time 
that  I  was  a  real  composer,  but  after  listen- 
ing to  Tschafkowski's  Fifth  Symphony  that 
illusion  was  dispelled.  Had  not  Mrs.  Good- 
rich rescued  from  the  flames  a  few  MSS.  I 
would  have  destroyed  every  note." 

Only  a  piano  suite  is  left,  and  this  leads 
one  to  regret  that  Tschaikowski  should  have 
served  as  a  deterrent  instead  of  an  inspira- 
tion. The  suite  has  an  inelaborate  prelude, 
which  begins  strongly  and  ends  gracefully, 
showing  unusual  handling  throughout.  A 
minuet,  taken  scherzando,  is  also  most  original 
and  happy.  There  is  a  quaint  sarabande,  and 
a  gavotte  written  on  simple  lines,  but  superbly. 
Its  musette  is  simply  captivating.  All  these 
little  pieces  indeed  show  sterling  originality 
and  unusual  resources  in  a  small  compass. 

W.  H.  Neidlinger's  first  three  songs 
were  kept  in  his  desk  for  a  year  and 
then  kept  by  a  publisher  for  a  year  longer, 


392    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

and  finally  brought  out  in  1889.  To 
his  great  surprise,  the  "  Serenade,"  which 
he  calls  "just  a  little  bit  of  commonplace 
melody,"  had  an  immense  sale  and  created  a 
demand  for  more  of  his  work.  The  absolute 
simplicity  of  this  exquisite  gem  is  misleading. 
It  is  not  cheap  in  its  lack  of  ornament,  but  it 
eminently  deserves  that  high-praising  epithet 
(so  pitilessly  abused),  "chaste."  It  has  the 
daintiness  and  minute  completeness  of  a 
Tanagra  figurine. 

Mr.  Neidlinger  was  born  in  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  in  1863,  and  was  compelled  to  earn 
the  money  for  his  own  education  and  for  his 
musical  studies.  From  Dudley  Buck  and, 
later,  C.  C.  Muller,  of  New  York,  he  has  had 
his  only  musical  instruction.  He  lived  abroad 
for  some  time,  teaching  the  voice  in  Paris, 
then  returned  to  live  in  Chicago.  He  has 
written  two  operas,  one  of  them  having  been 
produced  by  the  Bostonians. 

Mr.  Neidlinger  builds  his  songs  upon  one 


The  Colonists.  393 

guiding  principle,  that  is,  faithfulness  to  elo- 
cutionary accent  and  intonation.  As  he  neatly 
phrases  it,  his  songs  are  "colored  sketches 
on  a  poet's  engravings." 

The  usual  simplicity  of  Mr.  Neidlinger's 
songs  does  not  forbid  a  dramatic  outburst  at 
the  proper  time,  as  in  the  fine  mood,  "A 
Leaf;"  or  the  sombre  depth  of  "Night," 
"  Nocturne,"  and  "  Solitude  ;  "  or  yet  the 
siustainedly  poignant  anguish  of  "The  Pine- 
tree."  Occasionally .  the  accompaniment  is 
developed  with  elaborateness,  as  in  the  bird- 
flutings  of  "The  Robin,"  and  "Memories," 
an  extremely  rich  work,  with  its  mellow 
brook-music  and  a  hint  of  nightingale  com- 
plaint in  the  minor.  "  Evening  Song,"  a  bit 
of  inspired  tenderness,  is  one  of  Mr.  Neid- 
linger's best  works.  Almost  better  is  "  Sun- 
shine," a  streak  of  brilliant  fire  quenched 
with  a  sudden  cloud  at  the  end.  Other 
valuable  works  are  "Messages,"  the  happy 
little  Scotch  song,   "  Laddie,"  and  "  Dream- 


394   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

ing,"  which  is  now  sombre,  now  fierce  with 
outbursts  of  agony,  but  always  a  melody, 
always  ariose. 

Mr.  Neidlinger  has  made  a  special  study 
of  music  for  children,  his  book,  "  Small  Songs 
for  Small  Children,"  being  much  used  in 
kindergarten  work.  A  book  of  his,  devoted 
to  a  synthetic  philosophy  of  song,  is  com- 
pleted for  publication  ;  he  calls  it  "  Spenser, 
Darwin,  Tyndall,  etc.,  in  sugar-coated  pills  ; 
geography,  electricity,  and  hundreds  of  other 
things  in  song." 

The  Cleveland  Colony. 

The  city  of  Cleveland  contains  a  musical 
colony  which  is  certainly  more  important 
than  that  of  any  town  of  its  size.  About  the 
tenth  of  our  cities  in  population,  it  is  at  least 
fourth,  and  possibly  third,  in  productiveness 
in  valuable  composition. 

The  most  widely  known  of  Cleveland  com- 


WILSON    G.    SMITH. 


The  Colonists.  395 

posers  is  Wilson  G.  Smith.  He  has  been 
especially  fortunate  in  hitting  the  golden 
mean  between  forbidding  abstruseness  and 
trivial  popularity,  and  consequently  enjoys 
the  esteem  of  those  learned  in  music  as  well 
as  of  those  merely  happy  in  it. 


His  erudition  has  persuaded  him  to  a  large 
simplicity ;  his  nature  turns  him  to  a  musical 
optimism  that  gives  many  of  his  works  a 
Mozartian  cheer.     Graciousness  is  his  key. 

He  was  born  in  Elyria,  O.,  and  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Cleveland,  where  he 
graduated.  Prevented  by  delicate  health 
from  a  college  education,  he  has  nevertheless, 


396   Contemporary  American  Composers. 

by  wide  reading,  broadened  himself  into  cul- 
ture, and  is  an  essayist  of  much  skill,  His 
musical  education  began  in  1876,  at  Cincin- 
nati, where  his  teacher.  Otto  Singer,  encour- 
aged him  to  make  music  his  profession.  In 
1880  he  was  in  Berlin,  where  he  studied  for 
several  years  under  Kiel,  Scharwenka,  Mos- 
kowski,  and  Oscar  Raif.  He  then  returned 
to  Cleveland,  where  he  took  up  the  teaching 
of  organ,  piano,  voice,  and  composition. 

The  most  important  of  Smith's  earlier 
works  was  a  series  of  five  pieces  called 
"  Hommage  a  Edvard  Grieg,"  which  brought 
warmest  commendation  from  the  Scandina- 
vian master.  One  of  the  most  striking  char- 
acteristics of  Smith's  genius  is  his  ability  to 
catch  the  exact  spirit  of  other  composers. 
He  has  paid  "homage"  to  Schumann,  Cho- 
pin, Schubert,  and  Grieg,  and  in  all  he  has 
achieved  remarkable  success,  for  he  has  done 
more  than  copy  their  little  tricks  of  expres- 
sion, oddities  of  manner,  and  pet  weaknesses. 


The  Colonists.  397 

He  has  caught  the  individuality  and  the 
spirit  of  each  man. 

In  his  compositions  in  Grieg-ton  Smith 
has  seized  the  fascinating  looseness  of  the 
Griegorian  tonality  and  its  whimsicality.  The 
"  Humoresque  "  is  a  bit  of  titanic  merriment  ; 
the  "Mazurka"  is  most  deftly  built  and  is 
full  of  dance-fire;  the  "Arietta"  is  highly 
original,  and  the  "  Capricietto  "  shows  such 
ingenious  management  of  triplets,  and  has 
altogether  such  a  crisp,  brisk  flavor,  that  it 
reminds  one  of  Lamb's  rhapsody  on  roast 
pig,  where  he  exclaims,  "  I  tasted  crackling  I " 
The  "  Romance,"  superb  in  gloom  and  large- 
ness of  treatment,  is  worthy  of  the  composer 
of  "The  Death  of  Asra."  A  later  work, 
"Caprice  Norwegienne,"  is 'also  a  strong 
brew  of  Scandinavian  essence. 

A  "  Schumannesque  "  is  written  closely  on 
the  lines  of  Schumann's  "Arabesque."  A 
later  "  Hommage  a  Schumann "  is  equally 
faithful  to  another  style  of  the  master,  and 


39^    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

dashes  forth  with  characteristic  and  un-nafve 
gaiety  and  challenging  thinness  of  harmony, 
occasionally  bursting  out  into  great  rare 
chords,  just  to  show  what  can  be  done  when 
one  tries. 

The  man  that  could  write  both  this  work 
and  the  highly  faithful  "  Hommage  a  Schu- 
bert," and  then  whirl  forth  the  rich-colored, 
sensuous  fall  and  purr  of  the  "  Hommage  a 
Chopin,"  must  be  granted  at  least  an  unusual 
command  over  pianistic  materials,  and  a  most 
unusual  acuteness  of  observation. 

He  can  write  a  la  Smith,  too,  and  has  a 
vein  quite  his  own,  even  though  he  prefers 
to  build  his  work  on  well-established  lines, 
and  fit  his  palette  with  colors  well  tempered 
and  toned  by  the  masters. 

In  this  line  is  opus  21,  a  group  of  four 
pieces  called  ♦'  Echoes  of  Ye  Olden  Time." 
The  "  Pastorale "  is  rather  Smithian  than 
olden,  with  its  mellow  harmony,  but  the 
"  Minuetto  "  is  the  perfection  of  chivalric  fop- 


TJie  Colonists.  399 

pery  and  pompous  gaiety.  The  "  Gavotte  " 
suggests  the  contagious  good  humor  of  Bach, 
and  the  "  Minuetto  Grazioso,"  the  best  of 
the  series,  has  a  touch  of  the  goodly  old 
intervals,  tenths  and  sixths,  that  taste  like 
a  draught  of  spring  water  in  the  midst  of 
our  modern  liqueurs. 

The  musical  world  in  convention  assem- 
bled has  covenanted  that  certain  harmonies 
shall  be  set  apart  for  pasturage.  Just  why 
these  arbitrary  pastorales  should  stiggest 
meads  and  syrinxes,  and  dancing  shepherds, 
it  would  be  hard  to  tell.  But  this  effect  they 
certainly  have,  and  a  good  pastorale  is  a 
better  antidote  for  the  blues  and  other  civic 
ills  than  anything  I  know,  except  the  actual 
green  and  blue  of  fields  and  skies.  Among 
the  best  of  the  best  pastoral  music,  I  should 
place  Smith's  "  Gavotte  Pastorale."  It  is  one 
of  the  five  pieces  in  his  book  of  "  Romantic 
Studies"  (op.  57). 

This    same  volume  contains   a     "  Scherzo 


400    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

alia  Tarantella,"  which  is  full  of  reckless  wit. 
But  the  abandon  is  so  happy  as  to  seem  mis- 
placed in  a  tarantella,  that  dance  whose 
traditional  origin  is  the  maniacal  frenzy  pro- 
duced by  the  bite  of  the  tarantula.  An  earlier 
Tarantella  (op.  34)  is  far  truer  to  the  mean- 
ing of  the  dance,  and  fairly  raves  with  shriek- 
ing fury  and  shuddering  horror.  This  is 
better,  to  me,  than  Heller's  familiar  piece. 

The  "  Second  Gavotte  "  is  a  noble  work, 
the  naive  gaiety  of  classicism  being  enriched 
with  many  of  the  great,  pealing  chords  the 
modern  piano  is  so  fertile  in.  I  count  it  as 
one  of  the  most  spontaneous  gavottes  of 
modern  times,  one  that  is  buoyant  with  the 
afflation  of  the  olden  days.  It  carries  a  mu- 
sette of  which  old  Father  Bach  need  not  have 
felt  ashamed,  —  one  of  the  most  ingenious 
examples  of  a  drone-bass  ever  written. 

The  "  Menuet  Moderne  "  is  musical  cham- 
pagne. A  very  neat  series  of  little  va- 
riations   is    sheafed     together,     and     called 


The  Colonists.  401 

"  Mosaics."  Mr.  Smith  has  written  two 
pieces  well  styled  "  Mazurka  Poetique  ;  "  the 
later  (opus  48)  is  the  more  original,  but  the 
sweet  geniality  and  rapturously  beautiful 
endmg  of  opus  38  is  purer  music.  "  Les 
Papillons  "  is  marked  with  a  strange  touch  of 
negro  color ;  it  is,  as  it  were,  an  Ethiopiano 
piece.  Its  best  point  is  its  cadenza.  Smith 
has  a  great  fondness  for  these  brilliant  pre- 
cipitations. They  not  only  give  further  evi- 
dence of  his  fondness  for  older  schools,  but 
they  also  partially  explain  the  fondness  of 
concert  performers  for  his  works.  His  fervid 
"Love  Sonnet,"  his  "Polonaise  de  Concert," 
full  of  virility  as  well  as  virtuosity,  and  his 
delicious  "  Mill-wheel  Song,"  and  a  late 
composition,  a  brilliant  "  Papillon,"  rich  as  a 
butterfly's  wing,  are  notable  among  his 
numerous  works.  Possibly  his  largest  achieve- 
ment is  the  three  concert-transcriptions  for 
two  pianos.  He  has  taken  pieces  by  Grieg, 
Raff,  and  Bachmann,  and  enlarged,  enforced. 


402    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

decorated,  and  in  every  way  ennobled  them. 
But  to  me  his  most  fascinatingly  original 
work  is  his  "Arabesque,"  an  entirely  unhack- 
neyed and  memorable  composition. 

Smith's  experience  in  teaching  has  crys- 
tallized into  several  pedagogic  works.  His 
"  Scale  Playing  with  particular  reference  to 
the  development  of  the  third,  fourth,  and 
fifth  fingers  of  each  hand ; "  his  "  Eight 
Measure,"  "  Octave,"  and  "  Five  Minute  " 
studies,  have  brought  the  most  unreserved 
commendation  from  the  most  important  of 
our  teachers.  A  late  and  most  happy  scheme 
has  been  the  use  of  a  set  of  variations 
for  technical  and  interpretative  instruction. 
For  this  purpose  he  wrote  his  "Thames 
Arabesques,"  of  which  numbers  one  and 
eighteen  not  only  have  emotional  and  artistic 
interest,  but  lie  in  the  fingers  in  a  strangely 
tickling  way. 

What  might  be  called  a  professorial  sim- 
plicity is    seen    in    many  of  Smith's    songs. 


The  Colonists.  403 

The  almost  unadorned,  strictly  essential 
beauty  of  his  melodies  and  accompaniments 
is  neither  neglect  nor  cheapness  ;  it  is  re- 
straint to  the  point  of  classicism,  and  roman- 
ticism all  the  intenser  for  repression.  Take, 
for  example,  that  perfect  song,  "  If  I  but 
Knew,"  which  would  be  one  of  a  score  of  the 
world's  best  short  songs,  to  my  thinking. 
Note  the  open  fifths,  horrifying  if  you  thump 
them  academically,  but  very  brave  and 
straightforward,  fitly  touched. 

There  is  something  of  Haydn  at  his  best 
in  this  and  in  the  fluty  "  Shadow  Song,"  in 
"The  Kiss  in  the  Rain,"  and  "A  Sailor's 
Lassie,"  for  they  are  as  crystalline  and  direct 
as  "  Papa's  "  own  immortal  "  Schaferlied." 

Smith  has  gone  over  to  the  great  majority, 
—  the  composers  who  have  set  "  Du  bist 
wie  eine  Blume  ;  "  but  he  has  joined  those  at 
the  top.  Two  of  Smith's  songs  have  a  qual- 
ity of  their  own,  an  appeal  that  is  bewitching : 
"Entreaty,"  a  perfect    melody,    and  "The 


404   Contemporary  American  Composers. 


AR  A  BESQUE. 


Copyright,  1889,  by  O.  DiUon  &  Co. 


The  Colonists. 


405 


D           -^ 

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•'    ? 

m-^ 

^^ 

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^= 

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^ 

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C-I^^   ^ 

'Ljjr""' 

^ 

y* 

«a>                  »  «to 

Bli.         n    BH.         ■ « »•«■>»  ^       ..jrv         


4o6    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Dimple  in  Her  Cheek,"  which  is  fairly  peachy 
in  color  and  flavor. 

A  strange  place  in  the  world  of  music  is 
that  held  by  Johann  H.  Beck,  whom  some 
have  not  feared  to  call  the  greatest  of  Ameri- 
can composers.  Yet  none  of  his  music  has 
ever  been  printed.  In  this  he  resembles  B. 
J.  Lang,  of  Boston,  who  keeps  his  work  per- 
sistently in  the  dark,  even  the  sacred  oratorio 
he  has  written. 

All  of  Beck's  works,  except  eight  songs, 
are  built  on  very  large  lines,  and  though 
they  have  enjoyed  a  not  infrequent  public 
performance,  their  dimensions  would  add 
panic  to  the  usual  timidity  of  publishers. 
Believing  in  the  grand  orchestra,  with  its 
complex  possibilities,  as  the  logical  climax  of 
music.  Beck  has  devoted  himself  chiefly  to  it. 
He  feels  that  the  activity  of  the  modern 
artist  should  lie  in  the  line  of  "  amplifying, 
illustrating,  dissecting,  and  filling  in  the  out- 
lines left  by  the  great  creators  of  music  and 


The  Colonists.  407 

the  drama."  He  foresees  that  the  most  com- 
plicated scores  of  to-day  will  be  Haydnesque 
in  simplicity  to  the  beginning  of  the  next 
century,  and  he  is  willing  to  elaborate  his 
best  and  deepest  learning  as  far  as  in  him 
lies,  and  wait  till  the  popular  audience  grows 
up  to  him,  rather  than  write  down  to  the 
level  of  the  present  appreciation. 

The  resolve  and  the  patient  isolation  of 
such  a  devotee  is  nothing  short  of  heroic ; 
but  I  doubt  that  the  truest  mission  of  the 
artist  is  to  consider  the  future  too  closely. 
Even  the  dictionaries  and  encyclopaedias  ot 
one  decade,  are  of  small  use  to  the  next. 
The  tiny  lyrics  of  Herrick,  though,  have  no 
quarrel  with  time,  nor  has  time  any  grudge 
against  the  intimate  figurines  of  Tanagra. 
The  burdened  trellises  of  Richard  Strauss 
may  feel  the  frost  long  before  the  slender  ivy 
of  Boccherini's  minuet. 

Science  falls  speedily  out  of  date,  and 
philosophy  is  soon  out  of  fashion.     Art  that 


4o8    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


ft/t T  y^  -m  m^ tL..-  /<•-/-     I- ■-i^...  -)- ~T ^,-~/> 


A    FRAGMENT   OF   THE    SCORE   OF   "  SALAMMBO,"    BY 
JOHANN   H.   BECK. 


The  Colonists. 


409 


4IO    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

uses  both,  is  neither.  When  it  makes  crutches 
of  them  and  leans  its  whole  weight  on  them, 
it  will  fall  with  them  in  the  period  of  their 
inevitable  decay. 

Of  course,  there  is  evolution  here  as  well 
as  in  science.  The  artist  must  hunt  out  new 
forms  of  expressing  his  world-old  emotions, 
or  he  will  not  impress  his  hearers,  and  there 
is  no  gainsaying  Beck's  thesis  that  the  Chinese 
puzzle  of  to-day  will  be  the  antique  simplicity 
of  a  later  epoch.  But  it  must  never  be  for- 
gotten, that  art  should  be  complex  only  to 
avoid  the  greater  evils  of  inadequacy  and 
triteness.  A  high  simplicity  of  plan  and  an 
ultimate  popularity  of  appeal  are  essentials  to 
immortal  art. 

It  is  my  great  misfortune  never  to  have 
heard  one  of  Beck's  works  performed,  but, 
judging  from  a  fragment  of  a  deliciously 
dreamy  moonlight  scene  from  his  unfinished 
music  drama,  "  Salammbo,"  which  he  kindly 
sent  me,   and    from   the    enthusiasm   of  the 


The  Colonists.  411 

severest  critics,  he  must  be  granted  a  most 
unusual  poetic  gift,  solidity  and  whimsicality, 
and  a  hardly  excelled  erudition.  His  orches- 
tration shows  a  hand  lavish  with  color  and 
cunning  in  novel  effects.  Several  of  his 
works  have  been  performed  with  great  ap- 
plause in  Germany,  where  Beck  spent  many 
years  in  study.  He  was  born  at  Cleveland, 
in  1856,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Leipzig 
Conservatorium. 

In  art,  quality  is  everything;  quantity  is 
only  a  secondary  consideration.  It  is  on 
account  of  the  quality  of  his  work  that  James 
H.  Rogers  must  be  placed  among  the  very 
best  of  modern  song-writers,  though  his  pub- 
lished works  are  not  many.  When  one  con- 
siders his  tuition,  it  is  small  wonder  that  his 
music  should  show  the  finish  of  long  mastery. 
Born  in  1857,  at  Fair  Haven,  Conn.,  he  took 
up  the  study  of  the  piano  at  the  age  of  twelve, 
and  at  eighteen  was  in  Berlin,  studying  there 
for    more    than   two   years    with    Loschorn, 


412    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Rohde,  Haupt,  and  Ehrlich,  and  then  in  Paris 
for  two  years  under  Guilmant,  Fissot,  and 
Wider.  Since  then  he  has  been  in  Cleveland 
as  organist,  concert  pianist,  and  teacher. 


Q_^^%^ 


His  songs  are  written  usually  in  a  charac 
teristic  form  of  dramatic,  yet  lyric  recitative. 
His  "  Album  of  Five  Songs  "  contains  notable 
examples  of  this  style,  particularly  the  "  Good- 
Night,"  "  Come  to  Me  in  My  Dreams,"  and 
the  supremely  tragic  climax  of  "Jealousy." 
The  song,  "  Evening,"  with  its  bell-like  ac- 
companiment, is  more  purely  lyric,  like  the 


The  Colonists.  413 

enchanting  "  At  Parting,"  which  was  too 
delicately  and  fragrantly  perfect  to  escape 
the  wide  popularity  it  has  had.  His  "  Decla- 
ration "  is  ravishingly  exquisite,  and  offers  a 
strange  contrast  to  the  "  Requiescat,"  which 
is  a  dirge  of  the  utmost  largeness  and  gran- 
deur. His  graceful  "  Fly,  White  Butterflies," 
and  "In  Harbor,"  and  the  dramatic  setting 
of  "The  Loreley,"  the  jovial  "Gather  Ye 
Rosebuds"  of  jaunty  Rob  Herrick,  the  fop- 
pish tragedy  of  "  La  Vie  est  Vaine "  (in 
which  the  composer's  French  prosody  is  a 
whit  askew),  that  gallant,  sweet  song,  "  My 
True  Love  Hath  My  Heart,"  and  a  gracious 
setting  of  Heine's  flower-song,  are  all  note- 
worthy lyrics.  He  has  set  some  of  Tolstoif's 
words  to  music,  the  sinister  love  of  "  Doubt 
Not,  O  Friend,"  and  the  hurry  and  glow  of 
"The  First  Spring  Days,"  making  unusually 
powerful  songs.  In  the  "  Look  Off,  Dear 
Love,"  he  did  not  catch  up  with  Lanier's 
great  lyric,  but  he  handled  his  material  most 


414    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

effectively  in  Aldrich'  "  Song  from  the  Per- 
sian," with  its  Oriental  wail  followed  by  a 
martial  joy.  The  high  verve  that  marks  his 
work  lifts  his  "  Sing,  O  Heavens,"  out  of  the 
rut  of  Christmas  anthems. 

Of  instrumental  work,  there  is  only  one 
small  book,  "  Scenes  du  Bal,"  a  series  of  nine 
pieces  with  lyric  characterization  in  the  spirit, 
but  not  the  manner  of  Schumann's  "  Carni- 
val." The  most  striking  numbers  are  "Les 
Bavardes,"  "Blonde  et  Brune,"  and  a  fire- 
eating  polonaise. 

These  close  the  lamentably  small  number 
of  manifestations  of  a  most  decisive  ability. 

Another  Cleveland  composer  well  spoken 
of  is  Charles  Sommer. 

A  young  woman  of  genuine  ability,  who 
has  been  too  busy  with  teaching  and  concert 
pianism  to  find  as  much  leisure  as  she 
deserves  for  composition,  is  Patty  Stair,  a 
prominent  musical  figure  in  Cleveland.  Her 
theoretical  studies  were  received  entirely  at 


The  Colonists.  415 

Cleveland,  under  F.  Bassett.  Her  published 
works  include  a  book  of  "  Six  Songs,"  all  of 
them  interesting  and  artistic,  and  the  "  Madri- 
gal "  particularly  ingenious  ;  and  a  comic  glee 
of  the  most  irresistible  humor,  called  "  An 
Interrupted  Serenade  ;  "  in  manuscript  are  a 
most  original  song,  "  Flirtation,"  a  jovial 
part  song  for  male  voices,  "  Jenny  Kissed 
Me,"  a  berceuse  for  violin  and  piano,  a 
graceful  song,  "  Were  I  a  Brook,"  a  set- 
ting of  Thomas  Campion's  "  Petition,"  and 
another  deeply  stirring  religious  song  for 
contralto,   "  O  Lamb  of  God." 

The  St.  Louis  Colony. 

The  most  original  and  important  contribu- 
tion to  American  music  that  St.  Louis  has 
made,  is,  to  my  mind,  the  book  of  songs 
written  by  William  Schuyler.  The  words 
were  chosen  from  Stephen  Crane's  book  of 
poems,  "The  Black  Riders."  The  genius 
of    Crane,   concomitant   with   eccentricity  as 


4i6    Contemporary  American  Compc 


wiujAM  teaoritm. 


Words  used  by  permisBion  of  Copeland  and  Day. 
Copyright,  1SH7,  by  Wm.  Schuyler. 

FROM    WM.    SCHUYLER'S   "  BLACK    RIDERS.' 


The  Colonists. 


417 


1        Mile 

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- 

n.n«. 

or 

kurrf.  ing  ..n*. 

burn  . 

.i«g 

f^-^—^ 

^  * 

d — h — 

3=8 »l 

f— ^^ 

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^^~~    ^J^^^^^S^E 


41 8     Contemporary  American  Composers. 

it  was,  is  one  of  the  most  distinctive  among 
American  writers.  The  book  called  "  The 
Black  Riders  "  contains  a  number  of  moods 
that  are  unique  in  their  suggestiveness  and 
originality.  Being  without  rime  or  meter, 
the  lines  oppose  almost  as  many  difficulties 
to  a  musician  as  the  works  of  Walt  Whit- 
man ;  and  yet,  as  Alfred  Bruneau  has  set 
Zola's  prose  to  music,  so  some  brave  Ameri- 
can composer  will  find  inspiration  abundant 
in  the  works  of  Walt  Whitman  and  Emily 
Dickinson. 

Schuyler  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  May  4, 
1855,  and  music  has  been  his  livelihood. 
He  is  largely  self-taught,  and  has  composed 
some  fifty  pieces  for  the  piano,  a  hundred  and 
fifty  songs,  a  few  works  for  violin,  viola,  and 
'cello,  and  two  short  trios. 

In  his  setting  of  these  lines  of  Crane's, 
Schuyler  has  attacked  a  difficult  problem  in 
an  ideal  manner.  To  three  of  the  short 
poems  he  has  given  a  sense    of    epic  vasti- 


The  Colonists.  419 

tude,  and  to  two  of  them  he  has  given  a 
tantahzing  mysticism.  The  songs,  which  have 
been  pubUshed  privately,  should  be  repro- 
duced for  the  wide  circulation  they  deserve. 

Another  writer  of  small  songs  displaying 
unusual  individuality  is  George  Clifford  Vieh, 
who  was  born  in  St.  Louis  and  studied  there 
under  Victor  EhUng.  In  1889,  he  went  to 
Vienna  for  three  years,  studying  under 
Bruckner,  Robert  Fuchs,  and  Dachs.  He 
graduated  with  the  silver  medal  there,  and 
returned  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  has  since 
Uved  as  a  teacher  and  pianist. 

Alfred  George  Robyn  is  the  most  popular 
composer  St.  Louis  has  developed.  He  was 
born  in  i860,  his  father  being  William 
Robyn,  who  organized  the  first  symphonic 
orchestra  west  of  Pittsburg.  Robyn  was  a 
youthful  prodigy  as  a  pianist  ;  and,  at  the 
age  of  ten,  he  succeeded  his  father  as  organ- 
ist at  St.  John's  Church,  then  equipped  with 
the  best  choir  in  the  city.     It  was  necessary 


420    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

for  the  pedals  of  the  organ  to  be  raised  to  his 
feet.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  became  solo 
pianist  with  Emma  Abbott's  company.  As 
a  composer  Robyn  has  written  some  three 
hundred  compositions,  some  of  them  reaching 
a  tremendous  sale.  A  few  of  them  have  been 
serious  and  worth  while,  notably  a  piano  con- 
certo, a  quintette,  four  string  quartettes,  a 
mass,  and  several  orchestral  suites. 

There  are  not  many  American  composers 
that  have  had  a  fugue  published,  or  have 
written  fugues  that  deserve  publication.  It 
is  the  distinction  of  Ernest  Richard  Kroeger 
that  he  has  written  one  that  deserved,  and 
secured,  publication.  This  was  his  41st 
opus.  It  is  preceded  by  a  prelude  which, 
curiously  enough,  is  thoroughly  Cuban  in 
spirit  and  is  a  downright  Habanera,  though 
not  so  announced.  This  fiery  composition  is 
followed  by  a  four-voiced  "  real  "  fugue.  The 
subject  is  genuinely  interesting,  though  the 
counter-subject    is   as    perfunctory   as    most 


The  Colonists.  421 

counter-subjects.  The  middle-section,  the 
stretto-work,  and  the  powerful  ending,  give 
the  fugue  the  right  to  exist. 

Among  other  publications  are  a  suite  for 
piano  (op.  33),  in  which  a  scherzo  has  life, 
and  a  sonata  for  violin  and  piano,  in  which, 
curiously  enough,  the  violin  has  not  one  in- 
stance of  double-stopping,  and  the  elaborating 
begins,  not  with  the  first  subject  taken  vigor- 
ously, but  with  the  second  subject  sung  out 
softly.  The  last  movement  is  the  best,  a 
quaint  and  lively  rondo.  A  set  of  twelve 
concert  etudes  show  the  influence  of  Chopin 
upon  a  composer  who  writes  with  a  strong 
German  accent.  The  etude  called  "  Castor 
and  Pollux  "  is  a  vigorous  number  with  the 
chords  of  the  left  hand  exactly  doubled  in 
the  right;  another  etude,  "A  Romanze,"  is 
noteworthy  for  the  practice  it  gives  in  a  point 
which  is  too  much  ignored  even  by  the  best 
pianists ;  that  is,  the  distinction  between  the 
importance  of  the  tones  of  the  same  chord 


422    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

struck  by  the  same  hand.  A  work  of  broad 
scholarship,  which  shows  the  combined  in- 
fluence of  Beethoven  and  Chopin,  who  have 
chiefly  affected  Kroeger,  is  his  sonata  (op. 
40).  A  dominant  pedal-point  of  fifty-eight 
measures,  in  the  last  movement,  is  worth 
mentioning.  In  a  "Danse  Negre"  and  a 
"  Caprice  Negre,"  he  has  evidently  gone,  for 
his  Ethiopian  color,  not  to  the  actual  negro 
music,  but  to  the  similar  compositions  of 
Gottschalk.  Kroeger  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
August  10,  1862.  At  the  age  of  five  he 
took  up  the  study  of  the  piano  and  violin. 
His  theoretical  tuition  was  all  had  in  this 
country.  He  has  written  many  songs,  a 
piano  concerto,  sonatas  for  piano  and  viola, 
and  piano  and  'cello,  two  trios,  a  quintette, 
and  three  string  quartettes,  as  well  as  a 
symphony,  a  suite,  and  overtures  based  on 
"  Edymion,"  "  Thanatopsis,"  "  Sardanapalus  " 
(produced  by  Anton  Seidl,  in  New  York), 
"Hiawatha,"  and  "Atala." 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    WOMEN    COMPOSERS. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  take  up  cudgels 
for  a  contest  on  the  problem  of  woman's 
right  to  respect  in  the  creative  arts.  There 
are  some,  it  is  true,  who  deny  fervently  that 
the  feminine  half  of  mankind  ever  has  or 
can  or  ever  will  do  original  and  important 
work  there.  If  you  press  them  too  hard 
they  will  take  refuge  up  this  tree,  that  all 
women  who  ever  have  had  success  have  been 
actually  mannish  of  mind,  —  a  dodge  in 
question-begging  that  is  one  of  the  most 
ingenious  ever  devised  ;  a  piece  of  masculine 
logic  that  puts  to  shame  all  historic  examples 
of  womanly  fallacy  and  sophistry.      It  seems 


424    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

to  me  that  the  question  is  easily  settled  on 
this  wise :  it  is  impossible  for  a  rational  mind 
to  deny  that  the  best  work  done  in  the  arts 
by  women  is  of  better  quality  than  the 
average  work  done  by  men.  This  lets  the 
cat's  head  out  of  the  bag,  and  her  whole  body 
follows  pell-mell. 

In  a  few  instances  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
best  things  done  by  women  equal  the  best 
things  done  by  men  in  those  lines.  The 
best  verses  of  Sappho,  the  best  sonnets  of 
Mrs.  Browning,  the  best  chapters  of  George 
Eliot,  the  best  animal  paintings  of  Rosa 
Bonheur,  do  not  seem  to  me  surpassed  .by 
their  rivals  in  masculine  work.  If  anything 
in  verse  of  its  sort  is  nobler  than  Mrs.  Howe's 
"  Battle  Hymn  of  the  RepubHc,"  it  is  still  in 
manuscript.  If  there  is  any  poet  of  more 
complete  individuality  than  Emily  Dickinson, 
I  have  not  run  across  his  books.  In  music 
I  place  two  or  three  of  Miss  Lang's  small 
songs  among  the  chief  of  their  manner. 


The  Women  Composers.  425 

All  over  the  world  the  woman-mind  is 
taking  up  music.  The  ban  that  led  Fanny 
Mendelssohn  to  publish  her  music  under  her 
brother's  name,  has  gone  where  the  puritanic 
theory  of  the  disgracefulness  of  the  musical 
profession  now  twineth  its  choking  coils.  A 
publisher  informs  me  that  where  compositions 
by  women  were  only  one-tenth  of  his  manu- 
scripts a  few  years  ago,  they  now  form  more 
than  two-thirds.  From  such  activity,  much 
that  is  worth  while  is  bound  to  spring.  Art 
knows  no  sex,  and  even  what  the  women 
write  in  man-tone  is  often  surprisingly  strong, 
though  it  is  wrongly  aimed.  But  this  effort 
is  like  the  bombast  of  a  young  people  or  a 
juvenile  literature  ;  the  directness  and  repose 
of  fidelity  to  nature  come  later.  The  Ameri- 
can woman  is  in  the  habit  of  getting  what 
she  sets  her  heart  on.  She  has  determined 
to  write  music. 

With  an  ardor  that  was  ominous  of  success, 
Miss    Amy    Marcy    Cheney,    after    a    short 


426    Cojitemporary  American  Composers. 

preliminary  course  in  harmony,  resolved  to 
finish  her  tuition  independently.  As  an 
example  of  the  thoroughness  that  has  given 
her  such  unimpeachable  knowledge  of  her 
subject,  may  be  mentioned  the  fact  that  she 
made  her  own  translation  of  Berlioz  and 
Gavaert.  She  was  born  in  New  Hampshire, 
of  descent  American  back  to  colonial  times. 
At  the  age  of  four  she  wrote  her  opus  i. 
She  is  a  concert  pianist  as  well  as  a  frequent 
composer  in  the  largest  forms.  She  is  now 
Mrs.  H.  H.  A.  Beach. 

Not  many  living  men  can  point  to  a  com- 
position of  more  maturity  and  more  dignity 
than  Mrs.  Beach'  "Jubilate,"  for  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  Woman's  Building  at  the  Colum- 
bian Exposition.  The  work  is  as  big  as  its 
name  ;  it  is  the  best  possible  answer  to  skeptics 
of  woman's  musical  ability.  It  may  be  too 
sustainedly  loud,  and  the  infrequent  and  short 
passages  piano  are  rather  breathing-spells 
than  contrasting  awe,  but  frequently  this  work 


MRS.    H.    H.    A.    BEACH. 


The  Women  Composers.  427 

shows  a  very  magnificence  of  power  and 
exaltation.  And  the  ending  is  simply  superb, 
though  I  could  wish  that  some  of  the  terrific 
dissonances  in  the  accompaniment  had  been 
put  into  the  unisonal  voices  to  widen  the 
effect  and  strengthen  the  final  grandeur.  But 
as  it  is,  it  rings  like  a  clarion  of  triumph,  — 
the  cry  of  a  Balboa  discovering  a  new  sea  of 
opportunity  and  emotion. 

Another  work  of  force  and  daring  is  the 
mass  in  E  flat  (op.  5),  for  organ  and  small 
orchestra.  It  is  conventionally  ecclesiastic 
as  a  rule,  and  suffers  from  Mrs.  Beach'  beset- 
ting sin  of  over-elaboration,  but  it  proclaims 
a  great  ripeness  of  technic.  The  "  Qui 
Tollis "  is  especially  perfect  in  its  sombre 
depth  and  richness.  The  "  Credo "  works 
up  the  cry  of  "  crucifixus  "  with  a  thrilling 
rage  of  grief  and  a  dramatic  feeling  rare  in 
Mrs.  Beach'  work.  This  work  was  begun  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  and  finished  three  years 
later.     It  was  given  with    notable  effect  in 


428    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

1892  by  the  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  of 
Boston. 

Mrs.  Beach'  "  Valse  Caprice "  has  just 
one  motive,  — to  reach  the  maximum  of  tech- 
nical trickiness  and  difificulty.  There  is  such 
a  thing  as  hiding  one's  light  under  a  bushel, 
and  there  is  such  a  thing  as  emptying  a  bushel 
of  chaff  upon  it. 

"Fireflies"  is  a  shimmering  and  flitting 
caprice  of  much  ingenuity,  but  it  keeps  in  the 
field  of  dissonance  almost  interminably,  and 
clear  harmony  is  not  so  much  the  homing- 
place  of  its  dissonance,  as  an  infrequent  glint 
through  an  inadvertent  chink.  This  neat 
composition  is  one  of  four  "  Sketches  for 
the  Piano,"  of  which  "Phantoms"  is  delight- 
ful with  ghostliness.  "  In  Autumn  "  is  a  most 
excellent  tone-poem,  and  "  Dreaming "  is  a 
well-varied  lyric.  As  a  colorist  Mrs.  Beach 
is  most  original  and  studious.  Her  tireless 
hunt  for  new  tints  often  diverts  her  indeed 
from  the  direct    forthright  of   her  meaning, 


The  Women  Composers.  429 


PHANTOMS. 

^  tkafM  feHiM  n<»n,Ul34  aorta  *•  abO 


MnKBA.  Beach, 


Copyright,  1892,  by  Arthur  P.  Schmidt. 

A    FRAGMENT. 


430    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

but  the  "  Danse  des  Fleurs "  is  rich  in  its 
gorgeousness.  The  flowing  grace  of  the 
"Menuet  Itahen  "  makes  it  an  uncharacter- 
istic but   charming  work. 

Horace,  you  know,  promises  to  write  so 
that  any  one  will  think  him  easy  to  equal, 
though  much  sweat  will  be  shed  in  the  effort. 
It  is  the  transparency  of  her  studiousness, 
and  the  conspicuous  labor  in  polishing  off 
effects  and  mining  opportunity  to  the  core, 
that  chiefly  mars  the  work  of  Mrs.  Beach,  in 
my  opinion.  One  or  two  of  the  little  pieces 
that  make  up  the  half-dozen  of  the  "  Chil- 
dren's Carnival "  are  among  her  best  work, 
for  the  very  cheery  ease  of  their  look.  "  Pan- 
talon,"  "  Harlequin,"  "  Columbine,"  and  "  Se- 
crets "  are  infinitely  better  art  than  a  dozen 
valse-caprices. 

Both  the  defects  and  effects  of  her  qualities 
haunt  Mrs.  Beach'  songs.  When  she  is 
sparing  in  her  erudition  she  is  delightful. 
Fourteen  of  her  songs  are  gathered    into  a 


The  Women  Composers.  431 

"Cyclus."  The  first  is  an  "Ariette,"  with 
in  accompaniment  imitating  the  guitar.  It 
is  both  tender  and  graceful.  Probably  her 
best  song  is  the  setting  of  W.  E.  Henley's 
fine  poem,  "Dark  is  the  Night."  It  is  of 
the  "Erl-King"  style,  but  highly  original 
and  tremendously  fierce  and  eerie.  The  same 
poet's  "  Western  Wind "  is  given  a  setting 
contrastingly  dainty  and  serene.  "  The  Black- 
bird "  is  delicious  and  quite  unhackneyed. 
"A  Secret  "  is  bizarre,  and  "Empress  of  the 
Night  "  is  brilliant.  With  the  exception  of  a 
certain  excess  of  dissonance  for  a  love-song, 
"  Wilt  Thou  Be  My  Dearie .''  "  is  perfect  with 
amorous  tenderness.  "  Just  for  This  !  "  is  a 
delightful  vocal  scherzo  of  complete  originality 
and  entire  success.  "A  Song  of  Love"  is 
passionate  and  yet  lyric,  ornamented  but  not 
fettered.  "  Across  the  World  "  has  been  one 
of  Mrs.  Beach'  most  popular  songs ;  it  is 
intense  and  singable.  "  My  Star  "  is  tender, 
and  the  accompaniment  is  richly  worked  out 


432    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

on  simple  lines.  Three  Vocal  Duets  are  well- 
handled,  but  the  long  "  Eilende  Wolken"  has 
a  jerky  recitative  of  Handelian  naivete,  to 
which  the  aria  is  a  welcome  relief.  Her 
sonata  for  piano  and  violin  has  been  played 
here  by  Mr.  Kneisel,  and  in  Berlin  by  Mme. 
Carreno  and  Carl  Halir. 

Besides  these,  Mrs.  Beach  has  done  not  a 
little  for  the  orchestra.  Her  "  Gaelic  Sym- 
phony "  is  her  largest  work,  and  it  has  been 
often  played  by  the  Boston  Symphony,  the 
Thomas,  and  other  orchestras.  It  is  char- 
acterized by  all  her  exuberant  scholarship 
and  unwearying  energy. 

Margaret  Ruthven  Lang,  the  daughter  of 
B.  J.  Lang,  is  American  by  birth  and  train- 
ing. She  was  bom  in  Boston,  November  27, 
1867.  She  has  written  large  works,  such  as 
three  concert  overtures,  two  of  which  have 
been  performed  by  the  Thomas  and  the  Bos- 
ton Symphony  Orchestras,  though  none  of 
them    are    published.       Other     unpublished 


The  Women  Composers.  433 

works  are  a  cantata,  two  arias  with  orches- 
tral accompaniment,  and  a  rhapsody  for  the 
piano.  One  rhapsody  has  been  pubhshed,  that 
in  E  minor ;  in  spite  of  its  good  details,  it  is 
curiously  unsatisfying,  —  it  seems  all  prelude, 
interlude,  and  postlude,  with  the  actual  rhap- 
sody accidentally  overlooked.  A"  Meditation  " 
is  bleak,  with  a  strong,  free  use  of  dissonance. 
"The  Jumblies"  is  a  setting  of  Edward 
Lear's  elusive  nonsense,  as  full  of  the  flavor 
of  subtile  humor  as  its  original.  It  is  for 
male  chorus,  with  an  accompaniment  for  two 
pianos,  well  individualized  and  erudite.  It 
is  in  her  solo  songs,  however,  that  her  best 
success  is  reaped. 

When  I  say  that  Mrs.  Beach'  work  is 
markedly  virile,  I  do  not  mean  it  as  compli- 
ment unalloyed  ;  when  I  find  Miss  Lang's 
work  supremely  womanly,  I  would  not  deny  it 
great  strength,  any  more  than  I  would  deny 
that  quality  to  the  sex  of  which  Joan  of  Arc 
and  Jael  were  not  uncharacteristic  members. 


434    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

Such  a  work  as  the  "  Maiden  and  the 
Butterfly  "  is  as  fragile  and  rich  as  a  butter- 
fly's wing.  "  My  Lady  Jacqueminot "  is 
exquisitely,  delicately  passionate.  "  Eros  " 
is  frail,  rare,  ecstatic.  "  Ghosts  "  is  elfin  and 
dainty  as  snowflakes.  The  "  Spinning  Song  " 
is  inexpressibly  sad,  and  such  music  as 
women  best  understand,  and  therefore  ought 
to  make  best.  But  womanliness  equally  marks 
"  The  Grief  of  Love,"  which  is  in  every  sense 
big  in  quality  ;  marks  the  bitterness  of  "  Oh, 
What  Comes  over  the  Sea,"  the  wailing  Gaelic 
sweetness  of  the  "Irish  Love  Song,"  and  the 
fiery  passion  of  "Betrayed,"  highly  dramatic 
until  its  rather  trite  ending.  "  Nameless 
Pain"  is  superb.  Her  "Lament"  I  con- 
sider one  of  the  greatest  of  songs,  and  proof 
positive  of  woman's  high  capabilities  for  com- 
position. Miss  Lang  has  a  harmonic  individu- 
ality, too,  and  finds  out  new  effects  that  are 
strange  without  strain. 

"My    Turtle    Dove,"    among    the    "Five 


The  Women  Composers.  435 

Norman  Songs,"  in  fearlessness  and  har- 
monic exploration  shows  two  of  the  strong- 
est of  Miss  Lang's  traits.  Her  rkherchis 
harmonies  are  no  pale  lunar  reflection  of 
masculine  work.  Better  yet,  they  have  the 
appearance  of  spontaneous  ease,  and  the 
elaborateness  never  obtrudes  itself  upon 
the  coherence  of  the  work,  except  in  a  few 
such  rare  cases  as  "My  Native  Land," 
"Christmas  Lullaby,"  and  "Before  My 
Lady's  Window."  They  are  singable  to  a 
degree  unusual  in  scholarly  compositions. 
To  perfect  the  result  Miss  Lang  chooses  her 
poems  with  taste  all  too  rare  among  musi- 
cians, who  seem  usually  to  rate  gush  as 
feeling  and  gilt  as  gold.  Her  "Oriental 
Serenade  "  is  an  example  of  weird  and  origi- 
nal intervals,  and  "A  Spring  Song,"  by 
Charlotte  Pendleton,  a  proof  of  her  taste  in 
choosing  words. 

Her  opus  32  is  made  up  of  two  songs,  both 
full  of  fire  and  originality.     Opus  33  is  a  cap- 


436    Contemporary  American  Composers. 


GHOSTS. 

Wordi  tijr  munllllUlck. 


Mtgntto. 


MARCABET  BUTBVEN  LANtt 


^   _      ^S^f-            ■ 

—    j-y^ 

K      N     h   1 

-r-.    ..     ^-1 

**          o'ttt      In  the  mis  -  \j 

rust    sn 

ow  (lakes  I 

LliieP 

i^7^i 

^ 

|m,' 

^ — -u- 

Copyright,  1889,  by  Arthur  P.  Schmidt  &  Co. 


The  Women  Composers.  437 


43 8    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

tivating  "  Spring  Idyl "  for  the  piano,  for 
which  she  has  also  written  a  "  Revery,"  of 
which  the  exquisiteness  of  sleep  is  the  theme. 
The  music  is  delicious,  and  the  ending  is  a 
rare  proof  of  the  beautiful  possibilities  of 
dissonance. 

Personally,  I  see  in  Miss  Lang's  composi- 
tions such  a  depth  of  psychology  that  I  place 
the  general  quality  of  her  work  above  that  of 
any  other  woman  composer.  It  is  devoid 
of  meretriciousness  and  of  any  suspicion  of 
seeking  after  virility ;  it  is  so  sincere,  so  true 
to  the  underlying  thought,  that  it  seems  to 
me  to  have  an  unusual  chance  of  interesting 
attention  and  stirring  emotions  increasingl} 
with  the  years. 

An  interesting  and  genuine  individuality 
will  transpire  through  the  most  limited 
amount  of  creative  art.  This  has  been  the 
case  with  the  few  published  works  of  a 
writer,  whose  compositions,  though  unpre- 
tentious in  size  and  sentiment,  yet  reveal  a 


The  Women  Composers.  439 

graceful  fancy,  and  a  marked  contemplation 
upon  the  details  of  the  moods. 

Irene  Baumgras  was  born  at  Syracuse, 
New  York,  and  studied  the  piano  at  the  Cin- 
cinnati Conservatory  of  Music,  where  she 
took  the  Springer  gold  medal  in  1881.  She 
studied  in  Berlin  with  Moszkowski  and  Oscar 
Raif,  She  was  married  in  Berlin,  in  1884, 
to  Philip  Hale,  the  distinguished  Boston 
musical    critic. 

Her  devotion  to  her  art  was  so  great  that 
her  health  broke  down  from  overwork,  and 
she  was  compelled  to  give  up  piano  playing. 
Some  of  her  compositions  have  been  pub- 
lished under  the  name  of  "Victor  Ren^." 
Her  1 5th  opus  is  made  up  of  three  "  Morceaux 
de  Genre,"  of  which  the  "  Pantomime  "  is  a 
most  volatile  harlequinade,  with  moods  as 
changeful  as  the  key ;  a  remarkably  interest- 
ing composition.  Four  "  Pens^es  Poetiques  " 
make  up  opus  16.  They  include  a  blithe 
"  Chansonette  "  and  a  "  Valse   Impromptu," 


440    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

which,  unlike  the  usual  impromptu,  has  the 
ex  tempore  spirit.  Of  her  songs,  "  Mystery  " 
is  a  charming  lyric;  "  Maisie  "  is  faithful  to 
the  ghoulish  merriment  of  the  words ;  and 
"  An  Opal  Heart "  is  striking  for  interesting 
dissonances  that  do  not  mar  the  fluency  of 
the  lyric. 

Of  much  refinement  are  the  fluent  lyrics 
of  Mrs.  Mary  Knight  Wood.  They  show  a 
breadth  in  little,  and  a  fondness  for  unex- 
pected harmonies  that  do  not  disturb  the 
coherence  of  her  songs.  They  possess  also 
a  marked  spontaneity.  An  unexpected  ef- 
fect is  gained  by  the  brave  E  flat  in  her 
"  Serenade."  Her  popular  "  Ashes  of  Roses" 
also  has  a  rich  harmonic  structure.  Among 
other  songs,  one  with  an  effective  obbligato 
for  the  violoncello  deserves  special  praise. 
She  has  written  also  for  the  violin  and  piano, 
and  trios  for  'cello,  violin,  and  piano. 

Other  women  who  have  written  certain 
works  of  serious  intention  and  worthy  art,  are 


The  Women  Composers.  441 

Mrs.  Clara  A.  Kom,  Laura  Sedgwick  Collins, 
the  composer  of  an  ingenious  male  quartette, 
"Love  is  a  Sickness,"  and  many  excellent 
songs,  among  them,  "Be  Like  That  Bird," 
which  is  ideally  graceful ;  Fanny  M.  Spencer, 
who  has  written  a  collection  of  thirty-two 
original  hymn  tunes,  a  good  anthem,  and  a 
Magnificat  and  Nunc  Dimittis  of  real  strength ; 
Julie  Riv^-King,  the  author  of  many  concert 
pieces ;  Patty  Stair,  of  Cleveland ;  Harriet  P. 
Sawyer,  Mrs.  Jessie  L.  Gaynor,  Constance 
Maud,  Jenny  Prince  Black,  Charlotte  M, 
Crane,  and  Helen  Hood. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  FOREIGN   COMPOSERS. 

Ours  is  so  young,  and  so  cosmopolite,  a 
country,  that  our  art  shows  the  same  brevity 
of  lineage  as  our  society.  Immigration  has 
played  a  large  part  in  the  musical  life  of  the 
United  States,  as  it  has  in  the  make-up  of 
the  population ;  and  yet  for  all  the  multi- 
plexity  of  his  ancestry,  the  American  citizen 
has  been  assimilated  into  a  distinctive  indi- 
viduality that  has  all  the  traits  of  his  different 
forbears,  and  is  yet  not  closely  like  any  of 
them.  So,  American  music,  taking  its  scale 
and  most  of  its  forms  from  the  old  country, 
is  yet  developing  an  integrity  that  the  future 
will  make  much  of.  As  with  the  federation 
442 


The  Foreig7i  Composers.  443 

of  the  States,  so  will  one  great  music  ascend 
polyphonically,  —  e  pliiribus  unnnt. 

In  compiling  this  directory  of  American 
composers,  it  has  been  necessary  to  discuss 
the  works  only  of  the  composers  who  were 
born  in  this  country.  It  is  interesting  to  see 
how  few  of  these  names  are  un-American, 
how  few  of  them  are  Germanic  (though  so 
many  of  them  have  studied  in  Germany). 
Comment  has  often  been  made  upon  the 
Teutonic  nature  of  the  make-up  of  our 
orchestras.  It  is  pleasant  to  find  that  a 
very  respectable  list  of  composers  can  be 
made  up  without  a  preponderance  of  German 
names. 

The  music  life  of  our  country,  however, 
has  been  so  strongly  influenced  and  en- 
livened and  corrected  by  the  presence  of 
men  who  were  born  abroad  that  some  recog- 
nition of  their  importance  should  somewhere 
be  found.  Many  of  them  have  become 
naturalized  and  have  brought  with  them  so 


444    Contemporary  American  Composers. 

much  enthusiasm  for  our  institutions  that 
they  are  actually  more  American  than  many 
of  the  Americans ;  than  those,  particularly, 
who,  having  had  a  little  study  abroad,  have 
gone  quite  mad  upon  the  superstition  of  "at- 
mosphere," and  have  brought  home  nothing 
but  foreign  mannerisms  and  discontent. 

Among  the  foreign  born  who  have  made 
their  home  in  America,  I  must  mention  with 
respect,  and  without  attempting  to  sug- 
gest order  of  precedence,  the  following 
names : 

C.  M.  Loeffler,  Bruno  Oscar  Klein,  Leo- 
pold Godowski,  Victor  Herbert,  Walter  Dam- 
rosch,  Julius  Eichberg,  Dr.  Hugh  A.  Clarke, 
Louis  V.  Saar,  Asgar  Hamerik,  Otto  Singer, 
August  Hyllested,  Xavier  Scharwenka,  Ra- 
fael Joseffy,  Constantin  von  Sternberg, 
Adolph  Koelling,  August  Spanuth,  Aim^ 
Lachaume,  Max  Vogrich,  W.  C.  Seeboeck, 
Julian  Edwards,  Robert  Coverley,  William 
Furst,     Gustave     Kerker,     Henry     Waller, 


The  Foreign  Composers.  445 

P.  A.  Schnecker,  Clement  R.  Gale,  Edmund 
Severn,  Platon  Brounoff,  Richard  Burmeister, 
Augusto  Rotoli,  Emil  Liebling,  Carl  Busch, 
John  Orth,  Ernst  Perabo,  Ferdinand  Dunk- 
ley,  Mrs.  Clara  Kathleen  Rogers,  Miss  Adele 
Lewing,  Mrs.  Elisa  Mazzucato  Young. 

It  is  perhaps  quibbling  to  rule  out  some  of 
these  names  from  Americanism,  and  include 
certain  of  those  whom  I  have  counted  Ameri- 
can because  they  were  born  here,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  their  whole  tuition  and  tendency 
is  alien.  But  the  line  must  be  drawn  some- 
where. The  problem  is  still  more  trying  in  the 
case  of  certain  composers  who,  having  been 
born  here,  have  expatriated  themselves,  and 
joined  that  small  colony  of  notables  whom 
America  has  given  to  Europe  as  a  first  instal- 
ment in  payment  of  the  numerous  loans  we 
have  borrowed  from  the  old  country. 

For  the  sake  of  formally  acknowledging  this 
debt,  I  will  not  endeavor  to  discuss  here  the 
careers  of  George  Templeton  Strong,  Arthur 


44^   Contemporajy  Amei'ican  Composers. 

Bird,  or  O.  B.  Boise,  all  three  of  whom  were 
born  in  this  country,  but  have  elected  to  live 
in  Berlin.  Their  distinction  in  that  city  at 
least  palely  reflects  some  credit  upon  the 
country  that  gave  them  birth. 


POSTLUDE. 

In  the  ninth  century  Iceland  was  the  musi- 
cal center  of  the  world  ;  students  went  there 
from  all  Europe  as  to  an  artistic  Mecca.  Ice- 
land has  long  lost  her  musical  crown.  And 
Welsh  music  in  its  turn  has  ceased  to  be  the 
chief  on  earth.  Russia  is  sending  up  a  strong 
and  growing  harmony  marred  with  much  dis- 
cord. Some  visionaries  look  to  her  for  the 
new  song.  But  I  do  not  hesitate  to  match 
against  the  serfs  of  the  steppes  the  high- 
hearted, electric-minded  free  people  of  our 
prairies ;  and  to  prophesy  that  in  the  coming 
century  the  musical  supremacy  and  inspira- 
tion of  the  world  will  rest  here  overseas,  in 
America. 

THE    END. 


INDEX, 


Abt  Society,  198. 
Academy  of  Dramatic  Arts, 

79- 
iEschylean  Chorus,  53. 
Agramonte,  Emilio,  41. 
Aldrich,  Anna  Reeve,  313. 
Aldrich,  T.  B.,  89,  108,  204. 
Allen,  C.  N.,  244. 
Allen,  N.  H.,  273. 
Allen,  P.  C,  272. 
Allison,  XIII. 
Ambrosius,  Johanna,  349. 
Americanism  in  Music,   12, 

33.  58- 
Apollo  Club,  168,  236,  331. 
Apthorp,  W.  F.,  370. 
Arion  Society,  190. 
Arnold,  Maurice,  135,  139. 
Arnold,  Sir  Edwin,  171. 
aus  der  Ohe,  Adele,  293. 

Bach,  J.  S.,  15,  225,  227,  248, 

399,  400. 
Baltzell,  Willard  J.,  275. 
Bartlett,  H.  N.,  317,  327. 
Bassett,  F.,  415. 
Bates,  Arlo,  187,  368. 


Baumgras,  Irene,  439. 
Beach,  Mrs.  H.  H.  A.,  426, 

432,  433- 
Beck,  Johann  H.,  406,  411. 
Beethoven,  12,  52,  56,  100, 

116,    148,    163,    178,  208, 

306. 
Bendel,  237. 
"  Ben  Hur,"  72. 
Benkert,  G.  F.,  119. 
Bennett,  Sterndale,  257. 
Berliozo's,  144,  219,  243,  307, 

426. 
Bernard  of  Cluny's,  183. 
Best,  W.  T.,  361. 
Bird,  Arthur,  446. 
Black,  Jennie  Prince,  441. 
"  Blind  Tom,"  59. 
Boccherini,  407. 
Bodenstedt,  364. 
Boise,  O.  B.,  292,  299,  388, 

446. 
Boston    Colony,    269,    350, 

371. 
Boston    Symphony   Orches- 
tra, 18,  219,  233,  269,  281, 
282,  286,  292,  432. 


449 


450 


Index. 


Bourdillon's,  109,  312. 
Brahms,    56,   97,    114,    255, 

284. 
Breton,  XIII. 
Brewer,  J.  H.,  331,  334. 
Bristow,  George  F.,  246. 
Brockway, Howard,  298, 304. 
Brounoff,  Platon,  445. 
Browning,  E.  B.,  424. 
Browning,  Robt.,  89,  99. 
Bruce,  Edwin,  388. 
Bruch,  Max,  136. 
Bruckner,  419. 
Bruneau,  Alfred,  418. 
Buck,  Dudley,  165,  173,  174, 

305.    324.    331.    361.  3S1, 

392- 
Bullard,  F.  F.,  351,  357. 
Burmeister,  Richard,  445. 
Burns,  204. 
Burton,  F.  R.,  273. 
Busch,  Carl,  445. 
Byrd,  XIII. 
Byron,  252. 

Carew,  XIII. 
Carpenter,  H.  B.,  213. 
Carnegie,  A.,  256. 
Carreno,  36. 
Carroll,  Lewis,  212. 
Carter,  R.  I.,  294. 
Chadwick,  Geo.  W.,  18, 175, 

210,  220,  244,  347,  358. 
Champion,  T.,  XIII.,  415. 
Chaminode,  218. 
Cheney,  J.  V.,  89,  90. 
Chicago  Colony,  18. 
Chicago  Orchestra,  18. 
Chinese  Music,  64,  86,  140, 

143- 
Chopin,  52,  56,  90,  98,  100, 


no,  116,  138,  163,  177, 
178,  211,  250,  294,  317, 
319.  338,  396.  421. 

Cincinnati  Colony,  191,  270, 
272. 

Clarke,  H.  A.,  198,  444, 

Clementi,  113. 

Cleveland  Colony,  394,  415. 

Coccius,  132,  249. 

Coeme,  L.  A.,  262,  265. 

Coleridge,  62,  309. 

College  Music,  20,  38. 

Collins,  Laura  S.,  441. 

Columbus,  234. 

Conova,  12. 

Converse,  C.  C,  256,  261. 

Converse,  F.  S. 

Coombs,  C.  W.,  343. 

Corelli,  15. 

Couperin,  16. 

Coverley,  Robert,  444. 

Cramer,  321. 

Crane,  Charlotte  M.,  441. 

Crane,  Stephen,  415,  418. 

Dachs,  419. 

Damrosch,  Walter,  261,  444. 

Dante,  229. 

de  Koven,  R.,  334. 

De  Musset,  A.,  109. 

Dennee,  Charles,  374. 

Dickinson,  Emily,  369,  418, 

424. 
Diemer,  134. 
Donne,  Jno.,  XIII. 
Dowland,  XIII. 
Draessecke,  343. 
Drake,  Rodman,  131,  168. 
Drayton,  XIII. 
Dreams  and  Music,  62. 
Dressier,  L.  R.,  345. 


Index, 


451 


Drummond,  XIII.,  153. 

Dubois,  134,  358. 

Dudley,  Governor,  166. 

Dunbar,  P.  L.,  206. 

Dunkley,  Ferdinand,  445. 

Dvorak,  A.,  22,  77,  128, 
129,  131,  132,  136,  278, 
279.  305.  349.  371- 

Eddy,  Clarence,  59,  348. 

Edison,  16. 

Edwards,  Julian,  444. 

Egyptian  Music,  72. 

Ehling,  Victor,  419. 

Ehlert,  37. 

Ehrlich,  412. 

Eichberg,  Julius,  444. 

Elson,  L.  C,  16. 

Emerson,  14. 

Emery,  Stephen  A.,  17,  95, 

175,  244,  358,  375- 
English  Music,  12,  248,  329. 
Esputa,  John,  119. 

Fairlamb,  J.  R.,  344. 

Farwell,  A.,  348. 

Feval,  79. 

Field,  John,  227. 

Finck,  Henry  T.,  54. 

Fisher,  W.  A.,  348,  371. 

Fissot,  412. 

Fletcher,  XII.,  150. 

Florio,  31. 

Foerster,  A.  M.,  248,  256. 

Folk-music,  22. 

Foote,  Arthur,  18,  224,  234. 

Ford,  XIII. 

Franz,  Robt.,  lOi,  104,  106, 

173,  203,  248. 
French    influence,    29,    36, 

357. 


Fuchs,  Robt.,  419. 
Furst,  Wm.,  444. 

Gale,  Clement  R.,  445. 
Gale,  Norman,  88. 
Gavaert,  426. 
Gaynor,     Mrs.     Jessie     L., 

441. 
Genee,  335. 
German  Influence,  etc.,   17, 

40,     49,     59,     119,     132, 

260. 
Gerok,  106. 

Gilchrist,  W.  W.,  196,  209. 
Gilder,  R.  W.,  277. 
Gilmore,  P.  S.,  124,  261. 
Gleason,    F.    G.,    348,    376, 

382. 
Godard,  358. 
Godowski,  L.,  444. 
Goethe,  43,  95,  255. 
Goetschius,  Percy,  388. 
Goldmark,  Carl,  279,  281. 
Goldmark,  Rubin,  278,  282. 
Goodrich,  A.  J.,  28,  130,  171, 

199,  380,  388,  391. 
Goodrich,  J.  Wallace,  348. 
Gottschalk,    Louis  Moreau, 

17,  301,  422. 
Gounod,  321. 
Grabau,  371. 
Grand  Operas,  152,  262. 
Gray,  XII. 

Greek  Music,  72,  73,  155. 
Greene,  XII. 
Greig,  39,  54,  134,  190.  281, 

396- 
Grill,  132,  249. 
Guilbert,  Yvette,  129. 
Guilmant,  358,  412. 
Guyon,  322. 


452 


Index. 


Hadley,  H.  K.,  241,  247. 
Haggard,  Rider,  214. 
Hale,  F.  W.,  358. 
Hale,  Mrs.  Philip,  439. 
Hale,  PhUip,  186,  288,  439. 
Halir,  Carl,  432. 
Hall,  Bishop,    Xni. 
Hamerik,  A.,  444. 
Hammond,    Dr.    Wm.    A., 

62. 
Handel,    15,   152,  162,   184, 

246,  432. 
Handel  and  Haydn  Society, 

374,  428. 
Hanscom,  E.  W.,  275. 
Harris,  Victor,  336. 
Harvard     University,     154, 

222. 
Hastings,  F.  S.,  344. 
Haupt,  151,  257,311,412. 
Hauptmann,  167,  257,  347. 
Hauslick,  129. 
Hawley,  C.  B.,  32. 
Haydn,  403,  407. 
Heindl,  H.,  244. 
Heine,  44,  88,  104,  105,  196, 

215,  247,309,364,413. 
Heller,  164,  350. 
Hemans,  202. 
Henderson,  W.  J.,  185. 
Henley,  W.  E.,  431. 

281. 
Henselt,  104. 
Herbert,  XHI. 
Herbert,  Victor,  444. 
Herford,  Oliver,  369. 
Herrick,  XHI.,  87,  179,  228, 

369,  407,  413- 
Heyman,  37. 
Hieber,  263. 
HUer,  E.  O.,  375. 


Hood,  Helen,  441. 
Homer,  Sidney,  375. 
Hopkins,  H.  P.,  349. 
Hopper,  126. 
Horace,  430. 

Hovey,  Richard,  no,  351. 
Howe,  Mrs.  J.  W.,  424. 
Humorous    Music,    25,    64, 

212,  433- 
Humperdinck,  348. 
Huneker,  James,  39,  52,  54, 
Huss,  H.  H.,  291,  297,  351. 
Hyllested,  August,  444. 

Iceland,  447. 

Indian  Music,  22,  48,  49. 

Irving,  170. 

Jacobsen,  O.  F.,  322. 
Jadassohn,  211,  271. 
Japanese  Music,  139,  142. 
Jensen,  G.,  136,  350. 
Joachim,  97. 
John,  343. 

Johns,  Clayton,  368,  370. 
Jonson,  XII.,  57,  88. 
Jordan,  Jules,  274. 
Joseffy,  71,  278,  444. 

Keats,  152,  296. 

Kelley,  Edgar  S.,  27,  57,  76, 

140,  272. 
Kerker,  Gustave,  444. 
Kiel,  237,  371,  396. 
Kieserling,  R.,  Jr.,  270. 
Kipling,  50,  206,  359. 
Klatenborn,  Franz,  19,  279, 

295. 
Klein,  B.  O.,  444. 
Klindworth,  Karl,  95,  96,  97, 

III. 


Index. 


453 


Kneisel,    Franz,    263,    286, 

432- 
Koelling,  Adolph,  444. 
Korn,  Mrs.  Clara  A.,  441. 
Korthener,  H.  O.  C,  299. 
Kotzschmar,  150. 
Krehbiel,  H.  E.,  273,  361. 
Kroeger,  E.  R.,  420,  422. 
Kruger,  59. 
Kullak,  342,  387. 

Lachamue,  Amie,  444. 
Lachmund,  C.  V.,  349. 
Lang,    B.    J.,   95,   212,   226, 

375.  432- 
Lang,  M.  R.,  424.  432.  438- 
Lanier,  S.,  169,  171,  173- 
Lassen,  Edward,  132,  190. 
Lassus,  15. 

Lawes,  Harry,  1 53,  248,  328. 
Leading  Motives,  80. 
Ledochowski,  59. 
Lewing,  Adle,  445. 
Liebling,  Emil,  445. 
Liszt,  yj^  59.  97,  190.  196, 

237,341,387- 
Lodge,  XIIL 
Loeffler,  C.  M.,  444. 
Longfellow,  81,  223,  224. 
Loomis,  C.  B.,  84. 
Loomis,  H.  W.,  27,  77,  91. 
Loretz,  J.  M.,  344. 
Loschom,  411. 
Lowell,  201. 
Lulli,  16. 
Lyly,  XIII. 

MacDowell,   E.   A.,  18,    23, 

34,  57- 
MacMonnies,  242. 
Mandyczewski,  244. 


Manney,  C.  F.,  348. 
Manuscript  Societies,  20. 
March-tunes,  112. 
Marlowe,  XIL 
Marmontel,  yj. 
Marston,    G.    W.,  358,  364, 

368. 
Marteau,  Henri,  134. 
Martin,  E.  S.,  30. 
Marx,  A.  B.,  389. 
Mason,  Dr.  Wm.,  340,  341, 

387- 
Mason,    Lowell,      17,     157, 

340. 
Maud,  Constance,  441. 
McCagg  Prize,  176. 
McCaull,  126. 
McLellan,  C.  M.  S.,  63. 
Mendelssohn,    59,   155,  157, 

184. 
Mendelssohn  Club,  209. 
Mendelssohn,  Fanny,  425. 
Mendelssohn     Glee      Club, 

199,  200,  325. 
Meyerbeer,  126. 
Miles,  General,  n6. 
Millard,  H.,  337. 
Miller,  C.  C,  392. 
Millet,  313. 
Mills,  S.  B.,  321. 
Milton,  152,  328. 
Montaigne,  31. 
Monteverde,  16. 
Moody  and  Sankey,  157. 
Morgan,  John  P.,  371. 
Morgan,  Matt.,  120. 
Moscheles,    167,    311,   347, 

381. 
Mosenthal,  J.,  324. 
Moskowski,  396,  439. 
Mozart,  116,  306,  395. 


454 


Index. 


Namby-pamby,  25. 
National  Airs,  259. 
Negro     Music,   22,    23,    48, 

122,  128,  131,  137. 
Neidlinger,  W.  H.,  391,  394. 
Neitzel,  136. 
Nevin,  Arthur,  342. 
Nevin,  Ethelbert,  92,  iii. 
Nevin,  R.  P.,  94. 
New  York  Colony,  269,  282, 

350- 
Nicode,  129. 
Nobles,  M.,  120. 
Norris,  Homer  A.,  29,  348, 

357,  358,  388. 
Northeastern   Saengerbund, 

191. 

Offenbach,  120. 
Omar,  338. 
Orientalism,  45. 
Orth,  John,  175,  445. 
Oxenford,  John,  329. 

Page,  N.  C,  139,  143,  272. 
Paine,   John    Knowles,    18, 

162,  226,  263,  370. 
Palestrina,  16,  284. 
Pantomime  Music,  79,  no. 
Papperitz,  132,  249. 
Parker,  H.  W.,  174, 188, 192, 

371,  347- 
Parker,  J.  C.  D.,  373. 
Parker,  Mrs.  E.  G.,  183. 
Parrot,  John,  60. 
Pasmore,  H.  B.,  272. 
Pendleton,  C,  345. 
Penfield,  S.  M.,  347. 
Perabo,  Ernst,  445. 
Peri,  15. 
Perosi,  284. 


Perugino,  12. 

Philadelphia,  1 97. 

Pierne,  134. 

Plaidy,  167,  257,  381. 

Poe,  14,  76. 

Porpora,  15. 

Pratt,  S.  G.,  234,  240,  347. 

Proctor,  A.  A.,  81. 

Program  Music,  41,  44. 

Prout,  E.,  389. 

Pugno,  134. 

Purcell,  14,  248. 

Puritan  Influence,  14,  15. 

Radeck,  361. 

Raff,  37,  41,  97,  147. 

Raif,  O.,  381,396,439. 

Ralegh,  XIII. 

Rameau,  16. 

Rankin,  McKee,  60. 

Raphael,  12. 

Reinecke,  132,  211,  271,347. 

Reitz,  167. 

"  Rene  Victor,"  439. 

Rheinberger,   J.,    211,   292, 

355- 
Rohde,  311,  412. 
Richter,    E.    F.,    167,   249, 

257,  342,  381,  387. 
Rive -King,  Julie,  441. 
Robyn,  A.  G.,  419. 
Robyn,  Wm.,  419. 
Rogers,  J.  H.,  411,  414. 
Rogers,  Mrs.  C.  K.,  445. 
Rossini,  183. 
Rotoli,  Augusto,  445. 
Rubinstein,  77,  129. 
Riickert,  193. 
Rummel,  Franz,  371. 
Runciman,  John  F.,  14. 
Russell,  L.  A.,  144. 


Index. 


455 


Russian  music,  57,  447. 
Rutenber,  324. 

Saar,  L.  V.,  444. 
Saint-Saens,  108. 
San  Francisco,  59,  272,  371. 
Sappho,  424. 
Savard,  37. 
Sawyer,  H.  P.,  441. 
Scarlattis,  15. 
Scharwenka,  X.,  396,  444. 
Schiller,  95. 
Schimon,  249. 
Schnecker,  P.  A.,  445. 
Schoenefeld,  128,  135. 
Schubert,  103,  261,  350. 
Schumann,   163,    173,    177, 

215,397- 
Schuyler,  Wm.,  415,  419. 
Scott,  12,  171. 
Scotch  influence,  38,  39,  61, 

196. 
Seeboeck,  W.  C,  444. 
Seidl,  A.,  236,  245,  261,  279, 

322,  349,  422. 
Seiffritz,  59,  343. 
Seiss,  350. 
Severn,  E.,  445. 
Shakespeare,   XII.,  31,    57, 

60,  87,  95,  150,  152,  173, 

228,  239,  297. 
Sharp,  Wm.,  81. 
Shelley,  351. 
Shelley,  H.  R.,  304,  308. 
Sherwood,  Wm.  H.,  19,  60, 

286,311,370,383,  387. 
Shirley,  XIII. 
Shumann,  VII.,  56,  88,  91, 

98,  loi,  104,  ic6. 
Sidney,  XIII.,  228. 
Siloti,  A.,  192. 


Singer,  Otto,  396,  444. 
Sitt,  H.,  192. 
Smith,  G.,  309,  319. 
Smith,     Wilson     G.,     395, 

406. 
Sommer,  Charles,  414. 
Sonatas,  51,  56,  84. 
Sophokles,  154,  161. 
Sousa,  John  P.,  112,  128. 
Spanish  influence,  119. 
Spanuth,  A.,  444. 
Speidel,  59,  343. 
Spencer,  Fanny  M.,  441. 
Spenser,  XIII. 
Spohr,  257. 
Stair,  Patty,  414,  441. 
Stedman,    E.    C,    171,  277, 

373- 
Sternberg,   Constantin  von, 

444. 
Stevenson,  R.  L.,  12,  105. 
St.  Louis  Colony,  270,  415, 

422. 
Stoeckel,  G.  J.,  305. 
Strauss,  J.,  114. 
Strauss,  R.,  407. 
Strong,  G.  T.,  445. 
Suckling,  228. 
Swinbourne,  383. 
Symphonies,  64,    147,    218, 

298. 

Taft,  F.,  347. 

Tartini,  15,62. 

Taussig,  342,  381. 

Tennyson,  42,  55,  328. 

Theokritos,  384. 

Theorists,  28,  388. 

Thomas,  Theodore,  18,  151, 
153,  168,  169,  257,  261, 
264,  349,  376,  380,  432. 


456 


Index. 


Tschaikowski,  232,  372,  391. 
Tufts,  John  W.,  366. 

Upton,  Geo.  P.,  152,  180. 
Urban,  135. 

Van  der  Stucken,  Frank,  19, 

188,  196,  292. 
Vergil,  229. 
Verlaine,  81. 
Vieh,  G.  C,  419. 
Vierling,  135. 
Vogrich,  Max,  444. 
Von  Bohme,  94. 
Von  Biilow,  H.,  96. 

Wagner,  50,  56,  99,  11 1, 114, 
125,  157,  162,  201,  207, 
223,  237. 

Wagner,  Frau  Cosima,  97. 

Waller,  Henry,  444. 

Warren,  G.  W.,  324,  346. 

Warren,  R.  H.,  345,  347. 

Warren,  S.  P.,  311. 

Weatherby,  F.  E.,  329. 

Weitzmann,  381,  387. 


Welsh  Music,  447. 
Wheeler,  A.  C.,  320. 
Whelpley,  B.  L.,  375. 
Whiting,  283,  291. 
Whiting,  G.  E.,  360. 
Whitman,  Walt,  14,  418. 
Whittier,  153. 
Widor,  412. 
Wiegand,  Emil,  270. 
Wieprecht,  151. 
Willaert,  15. 
Wither,  XIII. 
Wood,  Mrs.  M.  K.,  440. 
Women  as  Composers,  423, 

441. 
Woodberry,  G.  E.,  161. 
Wotton,  XIII. 
Wuellner,  136. 

Yale  University,  175. 
Young,  Mrs.  E.  M.,  445. 

Zeck,  F.,  Jr.,  272. 
Zeno,  12. 
Zola,  418. 


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